Netanyahu government reportedly weighs limiting expat flights ahead of election

Senior officials in Israel's Transportation Ministry are reportedly discussing ways to limit the number of Israelis living abroad who can return to vote in the country's October 27 parliamentary election, amid concerns that many expatriate voters are likely to support opposition parties, AzerNEWS reports via Israel's Haaretz.

The report says that thousands of Israeli citizens living overseas are planning to fly home in the days leading up to the vote. Several initiatives, including the Fly & Vote campaign, have been launched to help expatriates return to Israel and cast their ballots. Since Israel generally does not allow absentee voting, most citizens abroad must travel to the country in person to participate in elections.

According to a source familiar with the discussions, senior ministry officials are informally considering measures that could prevent or significantly reduce charter flights arriving before the election. One option reportedly under discussion is restricting landing slots at Israeli airports in the days leading up to the vote. Another involves limiting aircraft parking availability at Ben Gurion Airport, where space is already constrained by the presence of US military refueling aircraft.

The discussions reportedly stem from concerns within the ministry that tens of thousands of returning expatriates could vote for parties opposed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Transportation Minister Miri Regev, whose ministry is overseeing aviation policy, is a member of Netanyahu's Likud party.

According to Haaretz, no formal decision has been taken and the conversations remain at an informal stage. Israel's Transportation Ministry did not respond to requests for comment on the report.