Flying to vote is an act of love, not impudence

Kalman Liebskind, editor-in-chief of the right-wing newspaper Makor Rishon, recently ignited a heated debate by describing Israeli emigrants planning to return for the 27 October election as “impudent people”.

Organisers hope that as many as 70,000 Israelis will travel to Israel to vote in October, potentially representing the equivalent of about two Knesset seats. In an extremely close election, their participation could determine the result.

The initiative to bring voters home emerged largely from the liberal bloc, explaining right-wing bloc anxiety. The Likud party has said it may pursue legal action against the organisers of the campaign to bring expatriate Israelis back to vote. Yet the organisers cannot control what happens once a voter enters the polling booth.

“Our future here can only be determined by those who bear the consequences of their election,” Liebskind argued. Those who understand how fateful this election is, he continued, should also understand that Israel’s fate cannot be determined by people who no longer live there.

Public opinion is divided rather than overwhelmingly hostile. A Channel 13 poll found that 51 per cent of Israelis supported citizens living abroad returning to vote. The controversy itself reveals that many Israelis recognise the continuing connection between citizenship and political participation.

Liebskind presents a serious argument. Israelis living abroad do not experience every consequence of government policy. Many do not pay Israeli taxes, serve in the reserves or confront the daily effects of decisions about the economy, education and security. Why, then, should they help determine the government under which other Israelis must live?