Israelis Abroad May Vote In Israel’s Next Election

Some 750,000 Israelis who live abroad could end up participating in Israel’s next election if certain Knesset members get their way. Those living abroad would be able to vote at Israel’s embassies or consulates around the world for the first time since the Jewish state’s establishment.

About half of these Israelis live either in the United States of Canada, and some estimates place the number at around 1 million. Of those, an estimated 300,000 live in the Los Angeles area, making it the largest Israeli community outside Israel.

This question arises every few years, and several bills were introduced on the matter in the past decade. Some of these bills passed preliminary votes in the Knesset, only to be shot down by the government.

This time, the effort looks more serious than ever because Yisrael Beiteinu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman, the incoming foreign minister, made allowing Israelis living abroad to vote a condition for his entering Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

Many in the Israeli political establishment believe Mr. Lieberman pressed for this condition in order to allow the some 200,000 Russians, who came to Israel in the early ’90s, only to leave the Jewish state, to vote for him. This speculation could have a solid basis because a substantial number of Russian immigrants voted for him.

The following statement outlining the deal on the expected resolution was released:

“The government shall formulate a bill that will provide for Israelis residing overseas on election day to vote under conditions agreed to by the various factions. This bill shall be placed on the Knesset’s agenda within a year after the government is sworn in.”

Incoming finance minister, Yuval Steinitz, passed on a recommendation to Mr. Netanyahu to safeguard the legislation this past weekend.

“Every citizen who resides overseas and who visited the country in the past 36 months prior to the elections or visited the country at least once since the previous elections, will be allowed to vote in the Knesset elections in ballot boxes that will be available in Israel’s embassies and consulates overseas,” he wrote.

Mr. Steinitz claims the bill will increase voter turnout.

“The bill will strengthen the bond and affinity of Israelis residing overseas who tend to visit Israel,” Mr. Steinitz said. “And will prevent the discrimination that is created between those whose wealth allows them to fly to Israel just to vote in elections, and those who are less wealthy residing in the same place, among them, naturally, many students.”

David Bedein can be reached at dbedein@israelbehindthenews.com