Israeli elections attract tens of thousands to vote

An extremely close race for Tuesday’s election in Israel has some citizens returning to the country to vote.

Israel does not allow votes from abroad, except for those serving in the country’s diplomatic missions. As many as 80,000 Israelis living outside the country are expected to return to vote in Tuesday’s elections, according to estimates by a group helping to organize citizens living outside the country. Israel has about 7.3 million eligible voters, according to the Washington-based International Foundation for Electoral Systems.

“Although it is not a large bloc, the 80,000 people who could go home to participate could make a big difference in the final tally in a very close election,” said Yael Shomer, a political science professor at Tel Aviv University.

In Israel’s first election since 2022, Likud’s Benjamin Netanyahu, who served as prime minister for 18 years over three separate stints, faces his main challenger Gadi Eisenkot, the former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff who leads the Yashar party. Both would likely need the support of potential coalition partners to win.

Polls are extremely close heading into Tuesday’s election. Issues such as security, already a deciding factor for Israelis, have become even more contentious with the war in Iran in full swing. Exempting some ultra-Orthodox men from conscription is also causing great divisions within Israeli society, while Prime Minister Netanyahu is still working on a controversial plan that would give the governing coalition more control over the justice system.

“All elections in Israel are energetic, but because this one will have such a significant impact on the future of the country, it was particularly hard-fought,” Shomer said. “This election really depends on how we see our future, turnout will be very high.”

Voter turnout in 2022 was just over 70%, according to the Israeli Central Election Commission. Pollsters estimate that this time, that figure could reach 87%. Among foreign service workers working in embassies and consulates outside Israel, voter turnout was 90 percent. According to the Central Election Commission, this figure is generally closer to 70%.

In order to help those living abroad return to vote, an organization called Fly & Vote was created by the America-Israel Democratic Coalition, a U.S.-based group that was initially created in 2023 to stop Likud’s efforts to reform the justice system.

While political organizations and parties are prohibited from paying for any type of transportation for people inside or outside Israel, Aid Coalition has found other ways to make voting easier.

Fly & Vote, funded by private donations, chartered a flight for Israelis living in Portugal and purchased blocks of tickets for flights from the New York area. All passengers on flights had to pay for their own seats.

“Israelis who don’t live here still have a stake in what we do, and we want to help them,” said Ora Peled-Nakash, co-founder of the group. “But we don’t take a political position or tell anyone how to vote, we just help them vote.”

Travelers will also have plenty of shopping options.

For decades, El Al was the only Israeli airline flying between the United States and Israel. Arkia started offering flights last year and Israir earlier this year. Former US carriers United and Delta are also flying to Israel again after suspending flights due to the war with Iran. German airline Lufthansa serves Israel from Europe and British Airways is expected to resume flights this week.

Plus, the price is in line with what it would be in normal times, Peled-Nakash said. There were still a few seats left on El Al flights departing from JFK or Newark airports, ranging from $1,300 to $2,500 as of Sunday, according to a CNBC study.

After years of political instability that saw five elections between 2019 and 2022, the outcome of Tuesday’s elections could help shape Israel’s political, security and economic direction for years to come. But it also shows how politically divided the country is.