{
  "id": 8642068,
  "title": "These Israelis want to fly home to vote. Netanyahu is trying to stop them",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/these-israelis-want-to-fly-home-to-vote-netanyahu-is-trying-to-stop",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-20T07:28:19.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Egypt Independent",
    "slug": "egypt-independent",
    "url": "https://www.egyptindependent.com/these-israelis-want-to-fly-home-to-vote-netanyahu-is-trying-to-stop-them/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Israel's upcoming general election on October 27 has seen a political tug-of-war unfold in the skies, with tens of thousands of Israeli citizens abroad keen on returning to cast their votes. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party has filed a petition to block \"Fly & Vote,\" an initiative assisting expatriates in traveling home for the election. The opposition accuses the initiative of being an illegal, foreign-funded operation, fearing that it could compromise the integrity of the election. Unlike other countries, Israel does not permit absentee voting; expatriates must return home to vote or forfeit their right to vote. This issue is particularly significant, as Israel's election system does not allow citizens abroad to cast ballots via mail, unlike many Western democracies. The upcoming election is seen as a critical moment, as both Netanyahu's coalition and the opposition are falling short of the 61-seat majority needed to form a government.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}