Netanyahu’s party seeks to impede Israeli expat voting

Likud maintains that even if passengers pay for their own plane tickets, the “Fly&Vote” initiative provides illicit benefits, such as discounted fares.(AFP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party petitioned the electoral commission Wednesday to block initiatives aimed at helping Israelis living abroad return to vote in closely fought elections.Israeli electoral law does not allow citizens living outside the country to vote abroad, except for diplomats and emissaries sent by certain organizations. The Central Bureau of Statistics estimates that 600,000 Israelis live abroad.Government opponents have been working for several weeks to encourage voters to return home to cast ballots, hoping to strengthen the anti-Netanyahu camp in elections scheduled for Oct. 27.The initiatives include offering discounted plane tickets, helping expatriates complete the administrative procedures required to vote and organizing transportation from the airport.Attorney Ilan Bombach, representing Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party, filed an appeal Wednesday with the chair of the Central Elections Committee demanding an end to the practices.The petition specifically targets the U.S.-based AID Coalition, an organization that says it aims to “strengthen and preserve the democratic foundations of the State of Israel” and is behind the “Fly&Vote” initiative.The petition also targets the opposition Democrats party.In his appeal, seen by AFP, Bombach likens the methods to an “electoral bribe” and argues that they violate campaign finance law.Likud maintains that even if passengers pay for their own plane tickets, the “Fly&Vote” initiative provides illicit benefits, such as discounted fares negotiated with airlines through group bookings.The AID Coalition, which describes itself as an apolitical organization, said it had received Likud’s appeal and would examine it.It accused the party of seeking “to prevent Israeli citizens — those who took a plane to come and fight on Oct. 7, who pay taxes and are involved in the life of their homeland — from being granted the right and duty to take part in deciding the future of the State of Israel.”Polls indicate the election is expected to be closely contested between the bloc led by Netanyahu and the bloc led by his main rival, centrist Gadi Eisenkot.Subscribe to our free newslettersOur weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.Additional Reads