Israelis living abroad spend thousands to fly in to vote in crucial election
Summary
Tens of thousands of Israelis living abroad have traveled to Israel to vote in a closely watched national election. Many describe the vote as a civic duty or a chance to influence the country’s direction, though analysts say it is unclear how expatriates will vote.Key Facts
- Ronnie Teram Gil-Ad spent about $3,000 to travel from the United States to Israel and planned to stay for 36 hours.
- Yael Natra traveled from Toronto to vote, saying it was the first time in 20 years abroad that she felt compelled to take part in an Israeli election.
- AID Coalition estimates that as many as 67,000 Israeli citizens have arrived from abroad to vote, based on surveys and registration data.
- The organization estimates about half of the arriving voters came from the United States, with others coming from Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
- UnXeptable co-founder Offir Gutelzon helped organize flights for voters; the group says it aims to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
- The election is Israel’s first national vote since the Hamas attack and the start of the Gaza war three years ago.
- The opposition bloc is led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, who left Netanyahu’s government in 2024.
- Turnout could reach 70% of Israel’s roughly 7.3 million registered voters, but parties will still need to form a governing coalition after the election.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
