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By Anna Rahmanan
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As Israel approaches an election in which neither major political bloc appears assured of a governing majority, immigrants who have made the country their home are expressing sharply different views about its political future. It reflects divisions over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, national security and the country's relationship with the United States.
Interviews with five Israelis who moved from the United States and Italy, some within the past few months and others more than a decade ago, reveal how people united by the decision to build their lives in Israel can disagree profoundly about how it should be governed.
Their experiences offer a personal view of a national divide that extends beyond support for Netanyahu. Even among immigrants who share a strong attachment to Israel, there is disagreement over what the country needs most: experienced leadership, political change, greater national unity or a different relationship with Washington.
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Israel's Election Polls Reveal a Divided Country
Recent polling reflects the country's political divisions.
A Maariv poll published on October 23 projected 48 seats for Netanyahu's coalition parties and 54 for the main opposition bloc, leaving both short of the 61 seats required to control Israel's 120-member parliament, the Knesset.
The divisions extend beyond party preferences. A September Israel Democracy Institute survey found that foreign affairs and security were the leading electoral considerations among Jewish respondents identifying with the right, while economic concerns led among centrists and religion-and-state issues ranked first on the left.
Those competing priorities are also evident among immigrants preparing to cast their ballots.
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Why One American Immigrant Is Backing Netanyahu
For Jen Aziz, 36, who moved to Israel from New York, this summer, voting for the first time as an Israeli citizen carries considerable emotional weight.
"It feels very just like you're finally like a real part of this nation because you're able to have a say in what the government looks like," she told Newsweek.
Aziz said she had spoken with Israelis who wanted Netanyahu replaced after his long tenure in power, but her own assessment is different.
She credits Netanyahu's relationship with the United States and the joint military operations against Iran's nuclear facilities with demonstrating his effectiveness as a leader.
"For me personally, he wins my vote just for having accomplished that," Aziz said.
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Aziz believes Israel needs an experienced politician capable of working closely with Washington, particularly given the country's security challenges.
Her support illustrates one argument for Netanyahu's reelection: that his experience and international relationships are assets during a period of extraordinary security pressures.
For other immigrants, however, the same turbulent years have produced a different conclusion.
Why Other Immigrants Want Political Change
Isaac Levy, 32, moved to Israel from Milan in 2012. Having voted in several previous elections, he believes this contest feels unusually consequential.
"People feel that their life in the country is at stake, from both parties," he said.
Levy wants a change of government, citing the human and economic costs of recent years and the unequal distribution of military responsibilities.
"These last four years were very harsh; many people lost their lives, homes, families, jobs," Levy said.
He is particularly critical of the burden placed on Israelis who serve in the military reserves. He said that parts of the population receive state support while contributing comparatively little to national service.
"This has to stop; it's becoming unbearable and the current government has an interest in keeping it as it is," Levy said.
The disagreement reflects a broader electoral fault line. The Israel Democracy Institute found that military conscription ranked among the two leading voting considerations for 34 percent of Jewish respondents identifying with the political center.
Levy also worries about Israel's long-term standing in the United States.
"Israel needs to act to change the public opinion in the USA," he said. He added that political change now could help protect the relationship beyond the Netanyahu and Trump administrations.
A Shared Desire for Unity, Different Visions of Leadership
For Nicolas Nemni, 37, who moved from Milan in 2019, the election raises questions about Israel's ability to overcome internal divisions.
"My hope is simple: unite the people of Israel. To be able to set aside differences and unite for the good of the country," he said.
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Nemni also wants the next government to address the cost of living by tackling monopolies, while maintaining Israel's security through diplomacy or military action when necessary.
Danielle Eisenberg, 34, who moved from New York City in June, similarly hopes the next government will focus on "uniting the country after years of divisiveness."
"I feel like this is the first time my vote actually matters," she said.
Neither Danielle nor Nemni specified which party they intend to support.
Jordan Karmily, 42, who moved from New York this summer, approaches his first Israeli election through the lens of Jewish identity.
"Voting is a major expression of identity, and to do so in our homeland, after centuries of being unwelcome guests all over the globe, will undoubtedly be a profound moment," he said.
Karmily wants decisive leadership and greater Israeli independence from Washington, even while maintaining a close alliance.
"An ideal relationship of any kind is one of genuine camaraderie and loyalty, without dependence," he said.
His preferred party also remains unspecified.
What Israel's Election Could Mean for Immigrant Voters
The interviews reveal how immigrants who see voting in Israel as an expression of belonging have reached different conclusions about how their adopted country should be governed.
The divide also reflects a wider question about Israel's relationship with the United States. Some, like Aziz, see Netanyahu's ties to Washington as a reason to retain him. Others, including Levy, believe a change of leadership could help Israel rebuild its international standing.
The immediate question is whether either political camp can assemble a governing majority. With recent polls showing both blocs short of 61 seats, coalition negotiations could prove as consequential as the vote itself.
For immigrants preparing to cast their first Israeli ballots and those who have participated in several elections, the outcome will help determine which priorities the next government pursues. Their votes may point in different directions, even as they share a commitment to the country they have chosen as home.
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