An El Al Boeing 737-958(ER) takes off from Barcelona-El Prat Airport in Barcelona, Spain, on August 27, 2025. Joan Valls | Nurfoto | Getty Images An extremely close race to Tuesday’s elections in Israel had some citizens flying back to the country to cast their votes. Israel does not allow votes from abroad, except for those who serve in the country’s diplomatic missions. About 80,000 Israelis living outside the country are expected to vote again in Tuesday’s election, according to estimates from a group that helps organize citizens living outside the country. Israel has about 7.3 million eligible voters, according to the Washington-based International Foundation for Electoral Systems. “While it is not a large block, the 80,000 who are able to return home to participate could make a big difference in the final count of a very close election,” said Yael Shomer, a political science professor at Tel Aviv University. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a news conference, amid the US-Israel conflict with Iran, in Jerusalem on March 19. 2026. Ronen Zvulun | ReutersIn Israel’s first elections since 2022, Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud party, who has been Prime Minister for 18 years in three separate terms, faces his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, who heads the Yashar party. Both will likely need the support of potential coalition partners to win. Polls are extremely tight heading into Tuesday’s elections. Issues such as security, already a deciding factor for Israelis, have become even more contentious with the Iran war in full swing. The exemption of some ultra-Orthodox men from mandatory military service is also causing a major divide in Israeli society, while Prime Minister Netanyahu is still working on a controversial plan that would give the ruling coalition more control over the judiciary. October 25, 2026, Israel, Tel Aviv: Yashar party leader Gadi Eisenkot addresses attendees from behind a lectern adorned with party slogans during an election rally. Erik Marmor | Image Alliance | Getty Images “All elections in Israel are tough, but because this one will have such a significant impact on the country’s future, it has been especially tough,” Shomer said. “This election is really about how we see our future, voter turnout will be very high.” Voter turnout in 2022 was just over 70% according to Israel’s Central Election Committee. Pollsters believe it could reach 87% this time. Among foreign service workers serving in embassies and consulates outside Israel, voter turnout was 90%. According to the Central Election Committee, that figure is usually closer to 70%. To help those living abroad re-cast votes, the US-Israel Democracy Coalition, a US-based group that was originally created in 2023 to stop Likud’s effort to reform the judicial system, created an organization called Fly & Vote. While political organizations and parties are prohibited from paying for any type of transportation for people in or out of Israel, the Aid Coalition has found other ways to make voting easier. Fly & Vote, which has been funded by private donations, chartered a flight for Israelis living in Portugal and purchased blocks of tickets for flights from the New York area. Everyone on the flights had to pay for their own seats. “Israelis who don’t live here still have an interest in what we do and we want to help them,” said Ora Peled-Nakash, the group’s co-founder. “However, we don’t take a political position and we don’t tell anyone how to vote, we just help them vote.” Travelers will also have many shopping options. For decades, El Al was the only Israeli airline flying routes from the United States to Israel. Arkia began offering flights last year and Israir earlier this year. Traditional US airlines United and Delta are also 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 resume flights this week. Additionally, the price is in line with what it would be in normal times, Peled-Nakash said. There were still some seats left on El Al flights from JFK or Newark airports ranging from $1,300 to $2,500 as of Sunday, according to a CNBC investigation. After years of political instability that saw five elections between 2019 and 2022, Tuesday’s election result could help shape Israel’s political, security and economic direction for years to come. But it also shows how politically divided the country has become.
