Tens of thousands of Israeli expats are returning to their country ahead of the elections on October 27 to vote. Not only in Israel but also abroad there is a feeling that a lot is at stake and that now every vote counts to determine the country's course.
According to the law, you can only vote if you are in Israel. Only Israeli soldiers, diplomats, and settlers in the occupied West Bank, the Golan Heights, and East Jerusalem are exceptions. Israelis living in the Netherlands are therefore also taking the plane.
"If Netanyahu remains in power, it's the end of Israel as a democratic state," says Barak Oserovitz during a transfer on the way to Israel. "The chance to stop him is now. It will never come again." He is coming over for a few days from the Netherlands.
"It will be an expensive vote," says Keren Hirsch. "The tickets and rental cars are much more expensive than usual." They are not the only ones who want to be in the country on Tuesday to vote. Especially many people come from the United States.
There is even an organization active there that mediates the arrival to Israel, much to the annoyance of the Israeli government. The organization is affiliated with people who also support the often massive protests against the government in Israel.
Netanyahu or Eisenkot
These are now-or-never elections, you hear among groups of American and French Israelis who have come over, but also among people who live in Israel.
"The government does not function," says Oserovitz. "The ultra-Orthodox and the Arab parts of society are not involved. They do not serve in the army. Orthodox Jews receive more money than they contribute through taxes. In addition, Netanyahu is holding back an investigation into the mistakes made that allowed Hamas to carry out a large attack on Israel on October 7, 2023."
These are things that Netanyahu's biggest challenger, former general Gadi Eisenkot, wants differently. An independent investigation into October 7, an independent judiciary, and compulsory military service for everyone. Hirsch: "Ultimately, under Netanyahu you get a kind of theocracy. And the opposition stands for me – even though some of them are also right-wing parties – for a secular democracy. That is very important to me."
Palestinians
In recent years, Netanyahu, out of his own conviction or as a compromise to the radical and/or religious parties in his cabinet, has increasingly cracked down on criticism from the media, maintained an exemption from military service for Orthodox Jews, and downplayed violence by settlers in the West Bank.
Under his premiership, settlers were also armed and the administration of the occupied territories came under radical ministers. Because the Israeli judiciary occasionally checked him, he attempted to limit or politicize that power.
Hirsch: "Gaza is close to my heart, let that be clear, but also in the West Bank violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians too often goes unpunished. And yes, there is also violence from Palestinians against Israelis, I will not deny that."
Every vote counts
Netanyahu campaigns with the slogan "Choose your Eisenkot, and you get Palestine." Yet there seems to be little difference in how both candidates want to deal with the threat of Hamas and other actors in the region.
So far, there is also no difference between both camps in their approach to Palestinian voters in Israel. Israeli Arabs make up about 20 percent of the electorate, but a coalition with parties that represent them is excluded by almost everyone. "Unwise and racist," Hirsch judges on the way to Israel.
Whether the vote of flown-in Israelis will make a difference is still a question. Because a lot is at stake, a high turnout is expected, even among Arab voters in Israel. As a result, every vote counts relatively less. That does not stop Barak Oserovitz from boarding the plane to Israel. "I won't say which party I will vote for, but you can assume it is for change!"
Live from 19:30 at the demonstration
Tonight in Tel Aviv there is a large demonstration by opponents of the Israeli government of Prime Minister Netanyahu. Elections are next Tuesday. Correspondent Lennard Swolfs and reporter Sander van Hoorn will be there live from 19:30.