Tens of thousands of Israeli citizens living in foreign countries have traveled to Israel to participate in a national election described by many as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The mobilization includes voters from the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand who are required to be physically present in the country to cast their ballots.
The election marks the first national vote held since the Hamas attack and the subsequent start of the war in Gaza three years ago. The political landscape is divided between Netanyahu’s supporters and an opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief who resigned from the government in 2024. Eisenkot has accused the Prime Minister of unnecessarily prolonging the conflict and delaying a deal for the release of hostages.
AID Coalition, a U.S.-based nonprofit, estimated that as many as 67,000 citizens have arrived from abroad to vote. The group based its figures on registration data and surveys from its "Fly&Vote" initiative, noting that roughly 50% of these travelers originated from the United States. Campaigns have utilized organizations like UnXeptable to coordinate flights for expats, though analysts note that travelers are arriving to support both pro- and anti-Netanyahu factions.
One voter, Ronnie Teram Gil-Ad, reported spending approximately $3,000 to travel from the U.S. for a 36-hour stay, while another, Yael Natra, traveled from Toronto citing concerns over a "deeply divided society." Voter turnout among the approximately 7.3 million registered citizens was projected to reach 70%.
For citizens in Israel, the immediate impact will be felt in the ability of the elected parties to form a stable governing coalition following the close of polls. The selection of leadership will determine the trajectory of the ongoing war and the potential for a hostage deal with Hamas, issues that have remained at the center of the political divide since the 2024 government departures.
The next steps involve the counting of ballots and the subsequent negotiations to form a majority government in the parliamentary system. While the opposition bloc was polling for a plurality of votes, a definitive date for the final certification of results and the deadline for coalition formation were not reported. If a stable government cannot be established, the precedent of political deadlock seen in recent years may continue.