Israeli expats fly home in droves for pivotal election

Tens of thousands of Israelis living abroad are expected to fly home for Tuesday's election, widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the wars and his government's hard-right turn. The vote follows the 2023 Hamas-led attacks and regional conflicts. AID Coalition estimates up to 67,000 expatriates will return, with about half coming from the United States, to cast in-person ballots, as Israeli law generally requires. Many liberal Israelis who left in recent years are motivated by concerns over eroding democracy, seeking to vote out Netanyahu, though some expats support him. Record numbers of Israelis have emigrated since 2022, peaking after Oct. 7, according to official data. Voters like Yael Natra, who flew from Toronto, cite the government's failures and actions in Gaza as reasons to return, hoping to restore Israel's democratic course.