Passenger Data Shows Shift Before Vote

Israelis are staying home or returning to cast ballots for the Knesset election scheduled for Tuesday, October 27.

Channel 13 analyzed passenger traffic at Ben-Gurion Airport between October 17 and October 27 for the years 2022, 2025, and 2026. Departures in 2026 totaled approximately 245,000 passengers. This figure is lower than the roughly 270,000 departures recorded in the same period in 2025 and the 323,000 departures in 2022. The decline occurred even though the current aviation capacity offers more aircraft and flights than in previous years.

Arrivals have increased sharply during the same window. The number of people entering the country exceeded the number of leaving by more than 90,000 in 2026. This gap is wider than the approximately 77,000 difference recorded in 2025. The increase relied on existing flight schedules rather than a large-scale organization of special airlifts.

The data suggests that many citizens view the upcoming vote as a reason to alter their travel plans. Channel 13 noted that 90,000 passengers equate to roughly two Knesset seats if all were eligible voters casting valid ballots. However, the totals include children and foreign nationals who cannot vote. The 3.25% electoral threshold means that small shifts in turnout could determine which parties secure seats in the 120-member parliament.

A recent Fly&Vote survey estimated that about 67,000 Israelis living abroad planned to travel home to vote. This estimate was based on registration data and a voluntary survey rather than confirmed arrivals. Most Israeli citizens residing overseas must return to the country to vote because remote voting is not widely available. The AID Coalition runs the Fly&Vote initiative, which has faced legal restrictions following proceedings initiated by the Likud party.

Organizers arranged dedicated flights from New York and Lisbon in August to meet demand among overseas Israelis. Alon Ben-Gurion, grandson of the country's first prime minister, arrived from the United States with his family. He traveled to Tiberias to cast his ballot, as reported by Channel 13.