Mind the Tech NY
"If you're an Israeli citizen living abroad - fly home and vote"
This is what Batell V. Blaish-Sultanik, CEO of AID, said at a female entrepreneurship event held as part of the Calcalist and Bank Leumi New York 2026 Mind the Tech conference; "We are here to ensure that every Israeli who has the right to vote will have the ability to be in Israel for the 2026 elections"
Batell V. Blaish-Sultanik
(Reyan Preuss. Tomeriko, Live Focus)
"I built my life on innovation - on startups, on growth, on the belief that technology can shape a better future. Like many Israelis, I thought my fighting days - after serving as a naval officer - were behind me. But I was wrong. Because now, we are fighting for something equally critical - to ensure that every Israeli voice becomes an Israeli vote," said Batell V. Blaish-Sultanik, CEO of AID (America-Israel Democracy), at the Yazamiyot female entrepreneurship event at the Calcalist and Bank Leumi Mind the Tech New York 2026 conference.
"Today I want to tell you about an extraordinary venture. It is not new. It is 'on the ground.' It is constantly reinventing itself, with creativity, resilience, willpower, and a stubborn commitment to its mission. Its community is more committed than you will ever see and many investors would call it a 'high-confidence bet.'
"This venture is called the State of Israel. It was launched like a startup. And like many startups, it has experienced a real upheaval. The last few years have been a roller coaster. From internal challenges to a war that has reshaped our reality ever since.
"In about six months, the shareholders of this venture - the citizens of Israel - will decide what comes next. We call that an election. But there's a problem. A large portion of these shareholders are not in their homeland. They're here in New York, in Palo Alto, in London. They simply live abroad. We surveyed 4,500 of them: 84% say this is the most decisive election in Israeli history. 73% want to go back to vote. 45% say they'll do whatever it takes. But in Israel there's no remote voting. If you're an Israeli citizen abroad, your vote only becomes a vote when you physically show up at the polls in Israel.
"And that, my friends, is a UX problem. And if there's one thing this room knows how to solve - it's UX problems. Distance is not a reason to lose your voice. It's a logistical problem. So we solve the logistics on a large scale. Because you don't leave Israel. You expand it.
"For those of us who built our lives elsewhere, but whose hearts belong to Israel. For those of us who boarded planes on October 7th and came home to fight for Israel. We are here to make sure that every Israeli who has the right to vote will have the ability to be present in the country in the 2026 elections. In the AID coalition, we have made a commitment: an Israeli vote for every Israeli voter. We are not in the business of persuasion. Only in the business of participation. We do not support a side, we support the right to vote.
"So here's the request: With all due respect, we can't afford to skip the board meeting. Because innovation made Israel strong, voting will keep it that way. If you're an Israeli citizen - fly home and vote. If you're not - tell every Israeli on your team. Because democracy only works if people show up. So show up."
Watch her full remarks in the video above.
