AID Coalition is the organization behind the operation that flies voters to Israel on Election Day. The group insists it’s nonpartisan and nonpolitical, saying its mission is to help citizens reach Israel to vote.
But AID Coalition operates an Israeli nonprofit called “The Israeli Camp,” managed by the organization’s officials. One of the projects the nonprofit supports is “We Are the Judaism of the Declaration of Independence”—and it helps raise funds for it.
3+That project, it turns out, works to shift voters from Likud to opposition parties. Erez Gavish, a co-founder of “We Are the Judaism of the Declaration of Independence,” believes “religious zealots” have seized control of power centers in Israel. His goal: pull traditional Likud voters to opposition parties.
Gavish laid out his strategy during a conversation about partnering with “Mothers at the Front,” a far-left organization. Participants in the discussion identified what they see as critical problems in Israel—including commanders who come from the Religious Zionist movement.
3+Ayelet Hashachar Saydoff, chair of “Mothers at the Front,” claimed Religious Zionism produces “only commanders,” not regular soldiers—framing that as a problem. Gavish, meanwhile, presented Likud and its influence on Israel’s identity as the problem to tackle.
The goal, he said, is to keep voters who left Likud for the opposition bloc from returning. The AID Coalition-backed organization pursues this through a campaign waving the flag of Judaism, designed to keep traditional and Likud-leaning voters in the opposition camp.
Gavish even said that moving Likud voters to the parties of Naftali Bennett or Avigdor Lieberman would count as a campaign success. The strategy: use the Judaism banner within the left bloc to transfer voters from the coalition bloc to the opposition.
3+So alongside its election-day flight operation, AID Coalition—through its “Israeli Camp” nonprofit—backs a project working to weaken Likud and reduce the electoral power of religious and Religious Zionist voters in the upcoming election.
Erez Gavish responded: “The ‘We Are the Judaism of the Declaration of Independence’ initiative is nonpartisan and does not work against Likud or for any party. For three years we’ve worked on the ideological and public level to express the pride of the Jewish people—secular and traditional—in their Judaism.
3+“The statements you’re referring to were made about a year ago in an ideological conversation and dealt with fighting religious zealotry and attempts by extremist elements to take over Judaism and state institutions. As stated, the initiative has no involvement in partisan activity or the election campaign.”
AID Coalition responded: “AID Coalition has supported and supports dozens of social projects strengthening Israeli society and democracy, including: resilience centers in Sderot and Ofakim, Nova victims, and evacuated communities. In the past, the organization also supported the social project ‘We Are the Judaism of the Declaration of Independence.’ However, statements by the project’s founder, Erez Gavish, express his personal views only and were not made on behalf of or in the name of AID Coalition. It should be emphasized that The Israeli Camp is an independent nonprofit separate from AID Coalition. Any attempt to link them and create the impression they are one organization is false and distorted.”