Israeli citizens abroad push to gain voting rights for upcoming elections
Israelis whom the government classifies as nonresidents are assigned a designation known as "Code 51" and removed from the voter registry, even though they retain their citizenship.
Ilana Mittman, a retired social scientist with dual American and Israeli citizenship, was surprised to learn that she was not eligible to vote in Israel's upcoming elections on October 27. Mittman, who moved to the United States in 1980 for her husband's medical studies, had never considered her life abroad as severing her ties to Israel.
She regularly watches Israeli television, follows the country's news, stays in contact with family, and supports pro-Israel causes. However, her voter status was inexplicably altered in 1986 under administrative "Code 51." This designation removes Israeli citizens living abroad from the voter registry. Mittman discovered that she was classified under Code 51 when she reviewed her records through the Interior Ministry's online portal.
She learned that consular staff stripped her of her state-issued ID card during a routine visit to register her son as an Israeli citizen. Mittman and others in the expat community have noticed that others have faced similar situations, with some discovering their exclusion only after making expensive travel arrangements to return to Israel for the election.
Over 120 individuals have joined a WhatsApp group discussing their disenfranchisement. With no clear path to appeal the exclusion, Mittman and others have launched a legal initiative called "Our Right to Vote - Code 51" to challenge the exclusion and restore their voting rights.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
