Record Demand for Special Flights to Israel for Upcoming Elections

With 57 days remaining until the upcoming elections, a new initiative called Fly&Vote is reporting record demand for special flights designed to bring Israelis living abroad back to the country to cast their ballots. The AID Coalition organization is arranging seven special flights to Israel, with six departing from New York and one from Lisbon.

The Lisbon flight was added after TAP Air Portugal canceled its flights to Israel, impacting Israelis who had planned to travel for the elections. Tickets for the Lisbon flight cost $580, while those from New York are priced at $1,800.

"We are creating solutions for problems that arise for Israelis who wish to exercise their democratic right and come to Israel to vote in the elections," said Yonatan Bar-Shadeh, president of AID Coalition. "Even flight cancellations will not stop the initiative and our mission to make every Israeli an Israeli voice."

The initiative comes amid political controversy, as the Likud party has previously expressed concerns about similar efforts to facilitate voting for Israelis abroad. About a month ago, the Likud's legal advisor demanded an examination of initiatives offering free accommodation and transportation to voters from abroad, calling it a "new and serious phenomenon of soliciting the arrival of voters to the country for the purpose of voting."

The Likud's complaint also addressed an initiative where Israelis arriving from abroad were offered free accommodation in homes within Israel. Hundreds of people reportedly offered their homes to voters. The Likud argued that free accommodation and transportation should be examined to see if they constitute benefits that could influence the exercise of the right to vote.

The Central Elections Committee had not yet taken a stance on the specific claims but stated that attempts to influence voting through bribery, forbidden gifts, or benefits undermine the integrity and freedom of elections. The committee also noted that suspected criminal offenses should be reported to the appropriate authorities.