Net 90,000 More Israelis Return to Israel Than Leave Ahead of Tuesday Vote

Passenger traffic at Ben-Gurion Airport has shifted sharply in the final days before the October 27 Knesset election, with far more Israelis entering the country than leaving it. The change reflects a widespread effort to secure ballots before polling stations close.

Channel 13 reported on Sunday that the net difference between arrivals and departures exceeds 90,000 travelers in 2026. This figure is notably higher than the approximately 77,000 net returnees recorded during the same period in 2025. The data covers the ten-day window from October 17 to October 27.

Departures from Israel have declined across recent election cycles. In 2026, approximately 245,000 passengers left the country during the observed period. That number compares to roughly 270,000 departures in 2025 and 323,000 in 2022. The decline occurred despite an increase in available aircraft and flight schedules compared to previous years.

Arrivals have increased without the use of dedicated chartered flights. Most returning citizens have booked seats on existing commercial routes. Channel 13 noted that the volume of incoming passengers has far surpassed the number of outgoing travelers. The station estimated that a net gain of 90,000 people would equate to roughly two Knesset seats if all were eligible voters who cast valid ballots. The totals, however, include children and foreign nationals who cannot vote.

The shift in turnout could influence the final allocation of the 120 Knesset seats. Israel uses a proportional representation system with a 3.25% electoral threshold. Small changes in vote counts can determine whether parties near that line secure representation. The distribution of seats will depend on how returning voters split their ballots among competing lists.

A recent survey by the Fly&Vote initiative estimated that about 67,000 Israelis living abroad planned to travel home to vote. The organization is run by the AID Coalition. Its operations faced restrictions following legal proceedings initiated by the Likud party. Most Israeli citizens overseas must return physically to cast their ballots, as remote voting is not widely available.

Alon Ben-Gurion, grandson of Israel’s first prime minister, arrived from the United States with his family. According to Channel 13, he traveled to Tiberias to vote. Organizers had arranged dedicated flights from New York and Lisbon in August to meet demand among overseas citizens.