Likud demands halt to ‘Fly & Vote’ scheme bringing Israelis home for elections

Likud party lawyers have sent a cease-and-desist letter challenging a programme that offers subsidised flights to Israeli citizens living abroad, enabling them to return and vote in the upcoming elections. The party’s legal team argues that the ‘Fly & Vote’ initiative constitutes electoral bribery under Israeli law and violates party financing regulations by providing prohibited campaign contributions. Organisers of the scheme have denied the allegations, insisting the programme operates within legal boundaries.

The dispute centres on whether offering reduced airfares to diaspora Israelis to facilitate their participation in elections crosses the line into illegal inducement. Likud’s lawyers contend that subsidising travel costs for voters represents a form of bribery designed to influence electoral outcomes, whilst simultaneously breaching campaign finance laws that strictly regulate financial support during election periods.

The initiative reflects broader efforts to encourage Israelis living abroad to exercise their voting rights, a demographic that has grown significantly in recent years. However, the legal challenge highlights the contentious nature of such programmes, with strict Israeli election law attempting to prevent any form of financial incentive that could be construed as voter manipulation or improper campaign financing.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.