Tens of Thousands of Israelis Abroad Plan to Return for Election
Translated & summarized from Jüdische Allgemeine by baba
Around 67,000 Israelis living abroad are expected to return to Israel to vote in the October 27 parliamentary election, according to the Fly&Vote initiative. This number is up from previous estimates and reflects a strong desire among expatriates to participate, despite the significant personal cost and effort involved in traveling to vote. The initiative's work to facilitate these trips faced a legal challenge from the Likud party, which was resolved with Fly&Vote agreeing to certain limitations on its support services.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- 67,000 Israelis living abroad plan to return to Israel to vote in the October 27 election.
- The Fly&Vote initiative's survey indicates a significant increase in travel intentions compared to 2022.
- Most traveling Israelis are from the United States and Europe.
- Fly&Vote's campaign is credited with influencing the travel decisions of many expatriates.
- A legal dispute with the Likud party resulted in Fly&Vote limiting its travel support services.
- Overseas Israelis must travel to Israel to vote, as mail-in ballots are not widely available.
Approximately 67,000 Israelis living abroad intend to travel to Israel to vote in the upcoming parliamentary election on October 27, according to a new survey by the initiative Fly&Vote. This figure represents an increase from earlier estimates, as the organization had initially anticipated around 53,000 returnees. The current projection is based on an analysis of registration data, not a count of actual travelers.
The survey, conducted between October 12 and 21, polled about 23,000 Israelis living overseas. Nearly 80 percent of respondents expressed their intention to travel to Israel for the election, a significantly higher rate than the 14 percent who undertook such journeys for the 2022 parliamentary elections. Fly&Vote cautioned that the survey was voluntary and its results may not be fully representative of all Israelis abroad, a caveat that also applies to the 67,000 projection.
Most respondents planning to travel are from the United States (48 percent), followed by European countries (37 percent), Canada (5 percent), and Australia or New Zealand (2 percent). The initiative claims its campaign influenced the travel decisions of many, with about 70 percent stating Fly&Vote played a role in their decision to fly to Israel, and another quarter receiving information and travel planning support.
The publication of these figures comes after a legal dispute between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and Fly&Vote. The Likud had petitioned to restrict the initiative's activities, particularly its assistance with organizing flights and travel services, arguing such aid could constitute undue influence on voters. The matter was resolved on October 6 with an agreement where Likud withdrew its petition and Fly&Vote committed to no longer subsidizing or offering discounts on flight tickets, or organizing additional flights beyond existing routes. Restrictions were also agreed upon for other services like transport and accommodation.
Likud considered the agreement a legal victory, while Fly&Vote emphasized that its operations were not banned and it could continue its work to facilitate overseas Israelis' participation in elections. Unlike many countries, most Israelis abroad cannot vote by mail and must travel to Israel to cast their ballots. Yehonatan Bar Sadeh, President of the AID Coalition, highlighted the significant personal sacrifices, including taking time off work or studies and incurring substantial travel costs, that many Israelis make to exercise their right to vote.
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