Estimate puts 90,000 Israelis living abroad now in country ahead of vote

Israelis living abroad have been arriving at Ben Gurion Airport ahead of the October 27 election. Bekesher estimates about 90,000 were in the country as of midday October 25, roughly 74,000 above a typical October day. Earlier Sunday the company estimated around 80,000. In a forecast it describes as conservative, it projects about 111,000 by election day, about 94,000 above usual. About 18 percent of its subscribers were in Israel by Sunday afternoon, versus about 3 percent on a typical October day last year. The share moved from about 14 percent on October 24 to 16 percent Sunday morning and 18 percent by afternoon; the company projects around 22 percent by election day if the share rises two points a day. "Many subscribers have told us they want to activate their service because they are traveling to Israel," Bekesher said. "People don't just travel to Israel in the middle of October for no reason. Even during the summer, we don't see such a high percentage of our customers in Israel. These are clearly people traveling specifically to vote." The company cautions that its presence data cannot establish why people are visiting. An India Today reporter spoke with arrivals at the airport, including travelers from Azerbaijan and other parts of Asia. Ben Gurion averaged about 32,200 arrivals and 26,000 departures daily over the past two weeks, with about 37,000 arrivals expected Monday. The Central Bureau of Statistics put Israelis eligible to vote living abroad at about 810,000 as of October 2026. Since 2023, about 260,000 Israelis of all ages have left the country, about 75 percent of them adults. The election is unfolding amid dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a tight race, though his main rival, Gadi Eisenkot, also lacks a clear path to forming a government.