Israelis in London celebrate elections

'Israeli House' in English capital organizes party during which results of exit polls will be broadcast live. 'We wanted to give local Israelis chance to be part of democratic celebration,' director says

Rona Zinman|Published: 01.22.13 , 19:20

LONDON – The "Israeli House" in London, a Ministry of Absorption project, has organized on Tuesday an elections party during which Israelis living in the city will be able to watch Israeli television channels as they begin broadcasting the results of their exit polls.

"This initiative was launched after Israelis approached us and asked if they could vote in England. While this was not possible, we wanted to give the Israelis who live here a place where they could be part of the democratic celebration that is going on in Israel," said Sharon Buenos, director of the "Israeli House" in London.

She told Ynet that more than 100 Israelis are expected to attend and "celebrate with Israeli food, flags and of course a live feed from Israeli television."

Rafi Sharon, 54, has been living in London for more than 30 years. "My family lives in Israel, and though I am far away, I am still more connected to what happens there than I am to what goes on in London," he said.

Sharon, the owner of a car service company, says Israelis who live abroad should be allowed to vote. "I believe that as an Israeli citizen I have the right to influence the State of Israel's future, despite not living there," he told Ynet. Sharon said he would vote for Habayit Hayehudi: "Naftali Bennett represents the preservation of Greater Israel, and I am certain he will fight for this cause if he gets enough votes on Election Day."

On the other hand, Shimon Ben-David (55), who moved to London 15 years ago, said "If you want to make a difference, go live in Israel. It will not be fair if people such as myself, who do not live in Israel and do not pay taxes there will influence the future of the country. Voting in the elections is a privilege, but in order to receive this privilege one has to give as well," he argued.

Meanwhile in Israel, figures published by the Central Elections Committee indicate that the voter turnout on Tuesday will be the highest in more than a decade.