More passengers are arriving in Israel than leaving through Ben Gurion Airport ahead of the elections, a trend Israir CEO Uri Sirkis says reflects Israelis returning from overseas to cast their ballots.

Over the past two weeks, an average of approximately 32,200 passengers arrived each day, compared with roughly 26,000 departing passengers—a daily difference of about 6,200.

Writing on LinkedIn, Sirkis pointed to the figures as a sign of Israelis’ determination to participate in the election, including those traveling thousands of miles to return home.

“In recent days, we have been witnessing a clear trend at Ben Gurion Airport. The number of passengers arriving in Israel is greater than the number leaving,” he wrote.

“Behind these figures are Israelis choosing to return home—sometimes from thousands of kilometers away—to take part in the elections and exercise their democratic right to vote.”

Sirkis described the journeys as “an inspiring testament to commitment, a sense of belonging and responsibility.”

“No matter where you are in the world, when your voice matters, you find your way home,” he added.

However, the passenger figures alone do not establish that the elections are driving the gap between arrivals and departures.

Ben Gurion recorded an average of approximately 44,000 arriving passengers per day in August and about 37,300 in September, both higher than the daily average recorded over the past two weeks.

While arrivals currently exceed departures, the figures do not identify how many passengers are returning specifically to vote.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)