The legislative elections in Israel are set for October 27, and the contest is expected to be very close between the party of outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and its opponents. Israeli electoral law does not allow for proxy or absentee voting, meaning that citizens living abroad must return to Israel to cast their ballots. This practice is not new, but this year, the enthusiasm for returning to vote has grown more noticeable, especially among opposition supporters, which has raised concerns within the government. The Likud, Netanyahu's party, has filed a petition with the electoral commission to block initiatives that help Israelis living abroad return to vote. The petition specifically targets the American organization Aid Coalition and its "Fly and Vote" project, which provides logistical assistance to voters wanting to return before election day. The Likud has criticized this initiative as an attack on the "authenticity of the vote." However, the reason such initiatives exist is because Israeli law does not allow for absentee or proxy voting from abroad, except in rare cases, such as for diplomats. Therefore, any Israeli citizen who wants to vote must be physically present in Israel on election day. According to CNN, citing Aid Coalition, more than 35,000 Israelis have already registered for this electoral trip, and over 50,000 are interested in making the journey. While the impact of expatriate votes on the election outcome is uncertain, estimates suggest that their votes could influence "two or three seats in the Knesset," Israel's parliament. Karine Lamarche, a sociologist and researcher at CNRS, notes that returning to vote is not a new phenomenon, even if not all expatriates do so at every election. Between 540,000 and 570,000 Israelis registered on the electoral lists do not live in Israel, according to Israeli channel N12. Nearly a million Israelis live abroad, out of a national population of about 10 million. Among them are Israeli Arabs, who make up nearly 20 percent of the population, many of whom have left the country in recent years. However, the cost and logistics of returning to Israel for voting limit the number of people who can participate. Political scientist Denis Charbit estimates that between 100,000 and 150,000 people might be able to afford the trip, which could still influence the election, though likely only by a small margin. With the country currently at war on multiple fronts and facing criticism for its handling of the conflict with Palestinians, the election is taking place in a particularly tense political climate. Netanyahu, who is facing multiple legal cases, is also competing with more extreme right-wing figures like Itamar Ben Gvir. This context may be providing extra motivation for Israelis abroad to return and vote.