The Great Schlep
Tens of thousands of Israelis living abroad are flying back to cast votes in what many describe as the most pivotal election in the country’s history.
The Great Schlep is a term used to describe the mass movement of Israeli citizens living abroad to return to Israel and cast their votes in the upcoming election. This election marks the first time Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will face voters since his controversial attempts to undermine Israel's judiciary, the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023, and the ensuing war on Gaza. These events have tarnished Israel's international reputation and led to a warrant for his arrest on war crimes charges from The Hague.
Approximately eleven percent of the Israeli electorate resides abroad, but the country does not permit absentee voting, except in rare cases. Consequently, any citizen who wishes to vote must return to their last official address in Israel and cast their ballot on election day. This requirement places a significant financial and time burden on overseas voters.
Eight in ten Israeli citizens living abroad consider the upcoming election to be "the most crucial" in Israel's history, despite the considerable costs and inconvenience involved.
According to polls, Netanyahu's right-wing coalition is currently tied with his chief rival, centrist Gadi Eisenkot. Despite his political differences with Eisenkot, Ariely, a Jewish American dual citizen, believes that voting for the Democrats could help shift the coalition to the left. The America-Israel Democracy (AID) Coalition, a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit, has launched an initiative called Fly&Vote to assist overseas Israeli voters in returning to Israel for the election.
The AID Coalition, which is officially nonpartisan, purchased a block of seats on Arkia Israeli Airlines and sold them to eligible voters at prices well below market rate. As a result, over thirty-five thousand overseas Israeli citizens have registered to receive information about the AID Coalition's reserved seats and access to alternative, more affordable flight options.
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