As two consequential elections approach, thousands of dual U.S.-Israeli citizens are scrambling to cast ballots in both countries, with many booking expensive flights to Israel because of its requirement for in-person voting. The U.S. allows absentee voting, but Israel does not, forcing an estimated 67,000 Israelis worldwide to travel back for the Oct. 27 contest.
The Israeli election is widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Supporters view him as the only leader capable of defeating Israel's enemies, while critics blame him for the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and the country's growing international isolation.
Though Israeli expats make up a small fraction of the over seven million eligible voters, their impact can be significant. Election experts note that roughly 40,000 votes can secure a single seat in the Knesset, and for the dozens of parties competing, that seat could be pivotal in coalition talks.
Solomon, a 30-year-old dual citizen and self-described progressive, is one of those making the trip. He asked to be identified only by his first name for privacy. "I don't usually vote in a country I don't live in," he said. "But this election is so consequential that I believe I have a duty to act and to have my voice heard — especially when so many voices impacted by this government may not be."
Solomon is flying from Washington, D.C., to Israel to vote, then returning to the U.S. to canvass in Michigan. He hopes his vote will help unseat Netanyahu, citing concerns over the prime minister's ultranationalist and religious policies, as well as his actions toward Arab citizens and Palestinians. He also worries these policies contribute to Israel's global isolation and increase threats to Jewish communities abroad.
"I'm trying to figure out if a shift in the Israeli election can kind of shift the narrative in the U.S.," he said.
Israel remains a flashpoint in American politics, and the future of U.S.-Israel relations has become a key issue for the Nov. 3 U.S. elections. Voters are increasingly worried that the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran could heighten insecurity at home, while American views of the Israeli government have soured across the political spectrum.
In Michigan, Solomon plans to canvass for a pro-Israel Jewish Democrat. While he is attracted to Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed's progressive record, he is concerned about anti-Israel sentiment within the party, especially on the far left, which he says could push the boundaries of antisemitism.
Solomon is traveling with his mother, also an Israeli citizen. They each paid about $1,600 for flights from the U.S. to Portugal, then a charter to Israel. The charter was arranged by AID Coalition, a nonprofit, nonpartisan group helping Israelis abroad vote. Its president, Jonathan Barsade, said the group organized the flight after cancellations stranded travelers in Lisbon. AID Coalition's "Fly & Vote" campaign assists voters with logistics but avoids direct financial aid to sidestep legal issues.
Barsade, a dual citizen himself, said Israelis abroad could account for about 10 percent of voter participation. He called the in-person voting law "anachronistic," noting that today's interconnected world keeps expats deeply engaged with Israeli affairs. "They might be residing abroad physically, but emotionally, mentally, they're in both countries," he said.
Only a narrow group—such as diplomats and Jewish Agency workers—can vote from abroad. While there is no major movement to expand absentee voting, some debate exists over allowing temporary expats to vote remotely. For Mor Erez, 37, the burden of traveling to Israel has prevented her husband and friends from voting. In 2022, the left-wing Meretz party missed the electoral threshold by about 4,000 votes, losing its Knesset representation for the first time since 1992.
Erez said her husband wanted to join her but they couldn't afford for both to go. "This is the mutual decision we made because we can't afford for both of us to go and the kids," she said. She is spending roughly $2,000 to fly from North Carolina, where she has lived for 14 months after leaving Israel amid the hardships of war.
