Likud Petition Against Overseas Voting Aid Project Withdrawn
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
The Likud party withdrew a petition against the "Fly&Vote" project, which helps Israelis abroad return to vote, following a recommendation from the Central Elections Committee chairman. The project assists up to 600 citizens who pay full airfare, with an estimated 53,000 Israelis expected to return for the upcoming elections. High airfare costs remain the main barrier for overseas voting, according to a survey.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Likud withdrew its petition against the "Fly&Vote" project assisting Israelis abroad to vote.
- The Central Elections Committee chairman, Justice Noam Solberg, recommended the petition's withdrawal.
- The "Fly&Vote" project helps up to 600 citizens who pay full airfare for election travel.
- An estimated 53,000 Israelis living abroad are expected to return to vote in the upcoming elections.
- High airfare costs are the primary obstacle for overseas Israelis wanting to vote, according to a survey.
- 58% of surveyed expatriate Israelis have already booked flights to return for the elections.
The Likud party has withdrawn its petition to the Central Elections Committee that sought to block the "Fly&Vote" project, which assists Israelis living abroad in returning to the country to vote. The decision came after a hearing led by Supreme Court Justice and Committee Chairman Noam Solberg, who recommended the withdrawal. Likud representative Ilan Bombach announced the petition's retraction following the judge's advice.
During the hearing, it was revealed that Fly&Vote assists a maximum of 500 to 600 citizens, who pay the full cost of their flights without any subsidies from the organization. Fly&Vote expressed satisfaction with the committee's decision and stated their commitment to facilitating overseas Israelis' voting rights, aiming to "give every Israeli an Israeli voice."
An estimated 53,000 Israeli citizens living abroad are expected to return for the upcoming elections. This projection is based on a survey of approximately 17,500 expatriate Israelis, where 72% expressed intent to travel back for voting, and 58% had already booked flights. The survey also indicated that nearly half of the respondents were influenced by Fly&Vote's activities in their decision to return.
The primary obstacle for overseas voting, cited by 58% of respondents, is the high cost of airfare, with 25% also noting limited flight availability. Security concerns in Israel were mentioned as another factor. Fly&Vote explained that their operations have scaled back due to increased flight availability, with only about five to six flights remaining.
Jonathan Bar Sade, President of the Coalition for International Development, highlighted the survey results as evidence of strong engagement from Israelis abroad, demonstrating their willingness to take concrete actions to participate in elections. He affirmed that Fly&Vote will continue to address barriers preventing citizens from reaching polling stations.
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