Even on Tuesday morning and afternoon, hours after polling stations opened, planes continued landing at Ben Gurion Airport carrying Israelis who had returned to vote in the 2026 election. "I spent 18 hours in the air on three flights from Goa, India, just to vote," Ariel Bar Yosef, 22, told ynet after cutting short her post-military trip through Asia. "I debated whether to come back or keep traveling, and in the end decided I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I didn't vote."
Ariel's father, who was waiting excitedly for her in the arrivals hall at Ben Gurion Airport, added with a smile: "At least something has come out of the election: my daughter is back."
According to Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics, around 810,000 Israelis eligible to vote live abroad, while many others are overseas on vacation, traveling or spending limited periods abroad for work and business. Tens of thousands have returned to Israel in recent days. According to an estimate by Fly&Vote, an initiative aimed at encouraging Israelis abroad to exercise their voting rights, some 67,000 people have returned, potentially equivalent to about one and a half seats in the Knesset, Israel's parliament.
Among those arriving on a flight around midday was the Zak family, a couple and their baby who came from the Greek island of Paros, where they live. "It's nice to come here, both to visit family and to exercise our democratic right to vote," said the father, Moshe. "I know who I'm voting for. I don't want to say who, but I hope it will be the right side."
Ariel Bar Yosef
(Photo: Liad Postelnik)
The Ben Simhon Rothstein family
(Photo: Liad Postelnik)
Mirav Ben Simhon Rothstein also arrived from Greece with her husband and baby daughter, although they were on an extended trip rather than living abroad. "We came back to vote especially for her," Mirav explained, pointing to her daughter Luli, who was in a baby carrier. "We had planned to keep traveling, but in the end we decided to return. I came to change the way things are."
A flight arriving from Bucharest, the Romanian capital, also carried Israelis returning to vote. "I came for a few hours to vote, and I'm going back to Bucharest this afternoon," said Karnit Weinberger. "The most important thing is to vote for Gadi Eisenkot and make a difference. We deserve better. I'm not thinking about the money I've spent. Buying the ticket isn't what's important. The most important thing is to make an impact so Eisenkot gets elected."
Asked how the flight went, she replied: "We talked politics. I tried to persuade the person sitting next to me on the plane. Let's hope I succeeded."
Asaf Yosef
(Photo: Liad Postelnik)
Yaffa Yaakobi
(Photo: Liad Postelnik)
Asaf Yosef, who arrived from Thessaloniki, had attended a concert there the previous night but hurried home, missing the chance to enjoy more of what the Greek city has to offer tourists. "We did everything we could to get back to Israel specifically to vote," he said. "It was a short night after the concert, and then we went straight to the airport. We came home to bring about change, but it's important that Israeli society becomes united again after the election. Things haven't been good in recent years, and a change of direction is needed."
Yaffa Yaakobi from Yavne had booked a trip abroad to celebrate her husband's birthday long in advance. But about three months ago, when the election date was set, they discovered it coincided with their vacation. "We moved our return flight forward so we could vote, and paid another 800 shekels per ticket," she said.
Was it worth paying that much just to vote?
"Absolutely, absolutely. Especially if we win. The plane was full of people flying to Israel to vote."