Expatriates Return for First Post-October 7 Vote
Thousands of Israelis living abroad are returning to Israel to vote in the national election scheduled for Tuesday, October 27. The vote marks the first election held since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, and the ensuing wars in the region.
Israeli law generally requires citizens to vote in person within the country, with narrow exceptions only for diplomats and certain official emissaries stationed abroad. This requirement has prompted many expatriates who had previously abstained from voting to travel back to Israel.
Yael Natra, 61, left Israel for Canada two decades ago and said she did not consider returning to vote in her home country’s elections during that time. She felt it was inappropriate to cast a ballot in a place where she no longer lived. However, after witnessing the rise of the far right in Israeli politics, Natra stated she felt she had no choice but to return.
Natra spent thousands of dollars to travel nearly 6,000 miles from Toronto to Tel Aviv to participate in the election. She plans to cast her ballot for parties not aligned with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. In an interview from Toronto, Natra cited an eroding democracy and a deeply divided society as reasons for her return.
"The Israel that I grew up in is disappearing," Natra said.
Scales of Return and Political Motivations
The AID Coalition, a US-based nonprofit organization, estimates that as many as 67,000 voters are returning to Israel. These figures are based on surveys and registration data collected through the group’s "Fly&Vote" initiative.
According to the AID Coalition, approximately half of the returning voters are flying in from the United States. The remaining expatriates are coming from Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Jonathan Barsade, president of the AID Coalition, stated that individuals across the political spectrum view these elections as critical regardless of their specific ideological positions.
Mairav Zonszein, a senior analyst with the International Crisis Group, suggested that Israelis who left the country since October 7 are likely motivated to vote out Netanyahu. Zonszein attributed this sentiment to the expatriates' exposure to international isolation and animosity toward the country.
Reaffirming Democracy Amidst Conflict
For some voters, the decision to return is driven by a desire to influence specific policy outcomes rather than just opposing the current leadership. Hadar Susskind, 53, and four relatives living in the United States are flying back to reaffirm Israel’s democracy.
Susskind cited the need to reverse course on settlement activity and violence in the West Bank and Gaza as primary motivations for their travel. Their return highlights the complex mix of personal conviction and political urgency driving the diaspora's participation.
The Uncertain Ballot Box
While anti-Netanyahu sentiment is a prominent theme in many campaigns, the actual voting behavior of returning expatriates remains difficult to predict. American-Israeli political analyst Dahlia Scheindlin noted that it is unclear how those flying in will vote overall.
Scheindlin pointed out that some expats are coming in specifically to vote for the pro-Netanyahu side, complicating the narrative that overseas voters uniformly oppose the current government.
Netanyahu’s main opponent, Gadi Eisenkot, is a centrist politician and former military chief of staff. Eisenkot has pledged to establish a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 attacks and Israel’s conduct during the war, positioning himself as a key alternative for voters seeking accountability.
A Tight Race in a Divided Nation
Israel has more than 7.3 million registered voters, creating a massive electorate where every vote carries significant weight. Polling suggests a tight race in an election widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu’s handling of the wars.
The vote also serves as a barometer for the hard-right turn domestically and internationally that has characterized recent years. As thousands of overseas Israelis make their way back to polling stations, the outcome will reflect not only domestic sentiment but also the views of those who have temporarily or permanently left the country.