Tuesday May 13, 2025
NEWSLETTER
www.israelhayom.com
  • Home
  • News
    • Gaza War
    • US Election Coverage
    • Middle East
    • Cyber & Internet
    • Business & Finance
  • Opinions
  • Jewish World
    • Archaeology
    • Antisemitism
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Culture
  • Magazine
    • Feature
    • Analysis
    • Explainer
  • In Memoriam
www.israelhayom.com
  • Home
  • News
    • Gaza War
    • US Election Coverage
    • Middle East
    • Cyber & Internet
    • Business & Finance
  • Opinions
  • Jewish World
    • Archaeology
    • Antisemitism
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Culture
  • Magazine
    • Feature
    • Analysis
    • Explainer
  • In Memoriam
www.israelhayom.com
Home News World News United States US Election Coverage

White House election race reaches streets of Tel Aviv

Votes everywhere are precious as the US election approaches. Israel is in focus because many dual nationality American-Israelis are registered in swing states such as Florida and Pennsylvania, which could help decide the Nov. 3 race.

by  Reuters and ILH Staff
Published on  10-18-2020 12:28
Last modified: 10-18-2020 11:04
White House election race reaches streets of Tel AvivReuters/Amir Cohen

Activists from Republicans Overseas Israel, paste a pro-Trump election campaign ad on a minibus in Tel Aviv, Oct.14, 2020 | Photo: Reuters/Amir Cohen

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

"You have to thank Trump" posters in Hebrew suddenly started appearing on minibuses in Tel Aviv this week, as Republican ads brought the race for the White House onto the streets of Israel.

Democrats are also targeting American-Israelis. They arranged a 40% discount with the courier service DHL for voters whose home states require overseas ballots to be sent by mail.

Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter 

Votes everywhere are precious as the US election approaches. Israel is in focus because many dual nationality American-Israelis are registered in swing states such as Florida and Pennsylvania, which could help decide the race.

Video: Reuters

There are no reliable statistics on American-Israelis' political leanings, but Marc Zell, chairman of Republicans Overseas Israel, estimated there were 25,000-30,000 eligible Florida voters in the country.

"That could be the deciding factor in that state's contest," he said, pointing to George W. Bush's narrow Florida victory in 2000, which handed him the election.

Republican President Donald Trump has had an outsized influence in Israel during his term in office, delighting many by recognizing Jerusalem as its capital and moving the US Embassy there from Tel Aviv.

A pro-Trump activist in Tel Aviv (Reuters)

Meanwhile, Democratic candidate Joe Biden's supporters have sent election postcards to Israeli Democrats and independents from swing states, where, they say, around half of American-Israeli Democrats are registered.

"Trump has used Israel as a partisan football to serve his own constituencies, like Christian Evangelicals," Democrats Abroad Israel chair Heather Stone told Reuters.

Biden, she said, was "a long-time friend of Israel who will help keep alive" the vision of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The parties' estimates of the number of eligible dual citizens resident in Israel range from 100,000 to 300,000. Some experts who track the information said it was likely to be more than 250,000.

Half a dozen American-Israeli voters interviewed by Reuters identified the coronavirus crisis, economic policy and candidates' stands on Israel as guiding their decisions.

One New York voter, Hezi Kugler, said he was voting for Biden to bring "a return to decency and a restoration of integrity" at the highest level of government.

"Trump has done some things that are good for Israeli interests, but his lack of global leadership has created an enormous vacuum in the region that is generally bad for Israel," said Kugler, 62, an energy industry professional in Tel Aviv.

Heather Stone, chairperson of Democrats Abroad Israel, works on her computer in Tel Aviv, Oct. 15, 2020 (Reuters)

In the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, Republican David Wiener said Trump was the right choice because he approached thorny Middle East conflicts "from a business perspective".

Last month, Trump hosted a White House ceremony in which Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain signed deals to establish formal relations.

"Gulf countries see Israel as an opportunity to expand their industries ... Trump took advantage of that with the UAE," said Wiener, 39, an aerospace engineer registered in Pennsylvania.

Although the election is most visible in Israel, there are also many Palestinians eligible to vote.

The US Embassy in Jerusalem has encouraged voting by both sides, hosting Facebook live events with Arabic subtitles geared towards residents of the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Gaza.

For Democrats Abroad, Stone said she was working with Palestinian activists in east Jerusalem and aboard to get out the vote.

One east Jerusalem activist, Kefah Abukhdeir, said Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza face multiple barriers to sending votes abroad, including unreliable postal services that she called "practically non-existent".

"We haven't had much luck turning out voters here," she said.

In Gaza, where an estimated 300 American-Palestinians live, Kamal Abusharia said he hoped to vote for the first time since the early 1990s in part due to anger towards Trump.

But he held out little hope that Biden would reverse all of Trump's pro-Israeli moves were he to win.

"I don't think that Biden would work to [return] the embassy (to Tel Aviv) or put the issue of Palestinian refugees back on the table," he said.

Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!

Related Posts

The right man for the jobAP/Chris Carlson

Trump sues Iowa pollster over 'election interfering fiction'

by Erez Linn

Former president claims 'doctored Harris poll' deceived millions and constitutes consumer fraud under Iowa law

Trump's final hurdle? Most crucial vote gets underwayAP/Yuki Iwamura

Trump's final hurdle? Most crucial vote gets underway

by Erez Linn

The Electoral College convenes on Dec. 17 and outcome will determine the official winner of November vote. Enshrined in the...

FEMA official blocked hurricane aid to homes with Trump signsReuters/Octavio Jones

FEMA official blocked hurricane aid to homes with Trump signs

by Adi Nirman

Agency "horrified" after supervisor told workers to skip pro-Trump houses in Florida disaster zone.

Menu

Analysis 

Archaeology

Blogpost

Business & Finance

Culture

Exclusive

Explainer

Environment

 

Features

Health

In Brief

Jewish World

Judea and Samaria

Lifestyle

Cyber & Internet

Sports

 

Diplomacy 

Iran & The Gulf

Gaza Strip

Politics

Shopping

Terms of use

Privacy Policy

Submissions

Contact Us

About Us

The first issue of Israel Hayom appeared on July 30, 2007. Israel Hayom was founded on the belief that the Israeli public deserves better, more balanced and more accurate journalism. Journalism that speaks, not shouts. Journalism of a different kind. And free of charge.

All rights reserved to Israel Hayom

Hosted by sPD.co.il

  • Home
  • News
    • Gaza War
    • US Election Coverage
    • Middle East
    • Cyber & Internet
    • Business & Finance
    • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Jewish World
    • Archaeology
    • Antisemitism
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Culture
  • Magazine
    • Feature
    • Analysis
    • Explainer
    • Environment & Wildlife
    • Health & Wellness
  • In Memoriam
  • Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Submit your opinion
  • Terms and conditions

All rights reserved to Israel Hayom

Hosted by sPD.co.il

Newsletter

[contact-form-7 id=”508379″ html_id=”isrh_form_Newsletter_en” title=”newsletter_subscribe”]

  • Home
  • News
    • Gaza War
    • US Election Coverage
    • Middle East
    • Cyber & Internet
    • Business & Finance
    • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Jewish World
    • Archaeology
    • Antisemitism
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Culture
  • Magazine
    • Feature
    • Analysis
    • Explainer
    • Environment & Wildlife
    • Health & Wellness
  • In Memoriam
  • Subscribe to Newsletter
  • Submit your opinion
  • Terms and conditions

All rights reserved to Israel Hayom

Hosted by sPD.co.il