An extremely tight race into Israel's election Tuesday, has some citizens flying back into the country to cast their votes.
Israel doesn't allow votes from abroad, except from those serving in the country's diplomatic missions. As many as 80,000 Israelis living outside the country are expected to come back to vote in Tuesday's election, according to estimates from one group helping to 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 not a large block, the 80,000 that may return home to participate could make a big difference in the final count of a very tight election," said Yael Shomer, a professor of political science at Tel Aviv University.
In Israel's first election since 2022, Benjamin Netanyahu of the Likud party, who has served as Prime Minister for 18 years over three separate periods, is facing top challenger Gadi Eisenkot, the former chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, who heads the Yashar party. Both would likely need backing from potential coalition partners in order to win.
Polls are extremely tight heading into Tuesday's election. Issues like security, already a major decider for Israelis, have gotten even more contentious with the Iran war in full swing. The exemption of some ultra-Orthodox men from conscription is also causing a great divide in Israeli society, while Prime Minister Netanyahu is still working on a controversial plan that would give the governing coalition more control over the judiciary.