Tens of thousands of Israeli expatriates are returning to Israel ahead of the upcoming general election, viewing it as a critical moment in deciding the country’s future direction. Many among this group express concern over what they perceive as an erosion of democratic norms under the current right-wing government led by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.

Na’ama Cohen, 33, who left Israel nearly a decade ago and now lives in Utrecht, Netherlands, epitomizes this trend. A former soldier, Cohen said she foresaw leaving Israel due to fears that the country she knew would no longer exist in the next couple of decades. Despite this, she remains committed to returning to vote, emphasizing her hope for political change: "If everything changes, our hearts are always in Israel. First the government needs to change, and then the situation needs to get better."

The concerns voiced by Cohen and others focus largely on Netanyahu’s administration, which has pursued controversial judicial reforms and presided over an increasingly polarized domestic landscape, including disputes over military conscription and challenges related to ongoing regional conflicts. This political climate has coincided with what experts describe as a significant “brain drain,” with highly skilled Israelis choosing to emigrate.

Professor Itai Ater from Tel Aviv University analyzed travel data from Ben Gurion Airport and found a 134 percent increase between 2020 and 2025 in Israelis leaving the country for extended periods. He noted that if more than 50,000 expatriates return to vote, it could substantially influence the election outcome.

Currently, Israeli citizens living abroad—estimated at about one million—are unable to vote remotely, a restriction that has drawn criticism from many expatriates. Israel has debated allowing postal or electronic voting for years but has not implemented such measures. The ruling Likud party opposes expanding overseas voting rights and recently filed a legal challenge against Fly&Vote, a grassroots initiative that facilitates Israeli expats’ travel back home to cast ballots. Likud’s petition accuses Fly&Vote of being an illegal, foreign-funded operation aiming to influence the election.

Fly&Vote was established by the America-Israel Democracy Aid Coalition, a U.S.-based nonprofit founded in 2023. The group denies financing travelers directly, stating instead that it helps locate affordable commercial flights for voters. The coalition accused Likud of trying to bar tax-paying Israeli citizens who left after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks from participating in the political process.

Among those returning independently is Elli Benaiah, a restaurant owner and cultural historian residing near the Swiss border in Germany, who said she paid for her own ticket. "As long as this country thinks that it still is a democracy, I'm entitled to have my say," Benaiah stated.

Polls ahead of the election show Likud trailing opposition parties, suggesting that the influx of returning expatriate voters—many of whom lean liberal—could further impact Netanyahu’s chances of securing a government majority. Despite the risks posed by the country’s volatile security situation, including ongoing hostilities, returnees like Cohen remain determined to participate in the democratic process, holding on to a cautious optimism about Israel’s future.