The electoral battle in Israel moved to the file of voters residing abroad, after the Likud Party submitted an official request to the Elections Commission against the “AID Coalition” association, which operates the “Fly & Vote” project, accusing it of providing prohibited economic privileges and benefits to encourage Israelis to travel and vote, while the association insisted that its activity is non-partisan and aims to facilitate the exercise of the democratic right.
According to a report published by journalist Yaara Shapira on the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation “Kan,” Likud considered in its petition that this project represents “a clear structure of serious violations that affect the essence of Israeli democracy.” The party has identified three main levels that require the intervention of the Chairman of the Election Commission, which are: the existence of a direct link between voting and the provision of benefits and gifts, the practice of organized electoral activity by a non-partisan party, and circumventing the registration and transparency system stipulated in the party financing law.
Likud’s petition was based on a set of circumstantial evidence, including the establishment of the institution, the size of the funding raised, its connections to protest organizations, its administrative structure, in addition to its digital campaigns and surveys regarding the cost of travel, stressing that these factors negate the non-partisan aspects of the project. The party demanded that the association be obligated to submit comprehensive documents and statements revealing the sources of funding, the nature of the benefits provided, and lists of those registered and beneficiaries of gift cards, to ensure that the elections are held in an equal and transparent environment.
The party had previously issued a legal warning to those in charge of the initiative, accusing them of committing violations related to financing the elections. On the other hand, the “AID Coalition” defines the “Fly & Vote” project as a non-partisan civic initiative that seeks to reduce the cost of travel and enable citizens residing abroad to return and participate in the vote.
In its response to the petition, the association criticized Likud’s move, noting that the petition seeks to prevent citizens who serve the state, pay taxes, and participate in defending it from exercising their electoral right and duty, stressing that it is studying the petition to respond to it in accordance with legal frameworks. This confrontation puts the Election Commission in the process of deciding the line between civil activities that encourage political participation and electoral benefits that violate the law.
