TEL AVIV: A razor-thin race ahead of Israel's election Tuesday has prompted tens of thousands of citizens living abroad to fly home to cast ballots, with one estimate putting the number of returning voters at up to 80,000.
Israel does not permit voting from abroad except by those serving in the country's diplomatic missions. But Fly & Vote, an organization set up by the U.S.-based America-Israel Democracy Coalition, has been helping Israelis overseas return home, chartering a flight for Israelis living in Portugal and buying blocks of tickets for flights from the New York area. Travelers paid 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, the group's co-founder. "We don't take a political position though and we don't tell anyone how to vote, we just help them cast their ballot."
Israel has about 7.3 million eligible voters, according to the Washington-based International Foundation for Electoral Systems.
"While not a large block, the 80,000 that may return home to participate could make a big difference in the final count of a very tight election," said Yael Shomer, a professor of political science at Tel Aviv University.
In Israel's first election since 2022, Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud party, who has served as prime minister for 18 years over three separate periods, faces top challenger Gadi Eisenkot, the former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, who heads the Yashar party. Both would likely need backing from potential coalition partners to win.
Polls are extremely tight heading into Tuesday's vote. Security, already a major decider for Israelis, has grown more contentious with the Iran war in full swing. The exemption of some ultra-Orthodox men from conscription is also causing a great divide in Israeli society, while Netanyahu is still working on a controversial plan that would give the governing coalition more control over the judiciary.
"All elections in Israel are energetic, but because this one will have such a meaningful impact on the future of the country it has been especially hard fought," Shomer said. "This election is really about how we see our future, voter turnout will be very high."
Voter turnout in 2022 was just above 70%, according to Israel's Central Elections Committee. Pollsters believe it could reach as high as 87% this time. Among foreign service workers serving in embassies and consulates outside Israel, turnout was 90%, compared with a usual figure closer to 70%, the committee said.
Organizations and political parties are prohibited from paying for transportation for people inside or outside Israel, but Fly & Vote, funded by private donations, has found other ways to facilitate voting.
Travelers also have plenty of commercial options. For decades El Al was the only Israeli airline flying routes from the U.S. to Israel. Arkia started offering flights last year and Israir earlier this year. U.S. carriers United and Delta are flying to Israel again after suspending flights due to the war with Iran. Germany's Lufthansa flies to Israel from Europe, and British Airways is scheduled to restart flights this week.
Prices are in line with normal times, Peled-Nakash said. As of Sunday, a few seats remained on El Al flights from JFK or Newark airports ranging from $1,300 to $2,500, according to research from CNBC.
After years of political instability that saw five elections between 2019 and 2022, Tuesday's result could help shape Israel's political, security and economic direction for years to come — and it also shows how politically divided the country has become.
