Tens of thousands of Israelis abroad expected to fly home to vote in 2026 election
The Likud withdrew its petition against groups helping Israelis abroad reach the country for Election Day after it emerged that the initiative was not subsidizing airfare.
At least 53,000 Israelis living abroad are set to travel to Israel for the 2026 election, despite a petition being withdrawn by Likud. The Likud party had opposed organizations aiding citizens in reaching Israel, but the petition was dismissed by the Central Elections Committee chairman, Noam Sohlberg. The initiative behind the petition, Fly&Vote, had planned to assist up to approximately 500 to 600 citizens, all paying full price for their airline tickets.
Following the dismissal, Fly&Vote stated it would continue working to help reduce obstacles preventing citizens from voting. A recent survey found that 72% of Israelis abroad plan to travel to Israel for the election, with 58% already holding airline tickets. Airfare prices were identified as the main obstacle for citizens wanting to vote, followed by flight availability and the security situation in Israel.
The initiative committed to providing information about required documents, operating WhatsApp groups, running a search engine for commercial flights, and offering a legal assistance hotline, while not subsidizing or discounting airline tickets or offering transportation or accommodation.
Written by urgent.news from Jerusalem Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
