Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed the opening votes at Israel’s embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan on Thursday. Early voting is much more restricted in Israel than in the United States, but diplomats and their families stationed in foreign countries are an exception.
Four thousand eight hundred people are eligible to cast their votes at 101 polling stations in 99 diplomatic missions. The first embassy to cast ballots was in Wellington, New Zealand. Voting began at 9:00 a.m. local time, which is 11:00 p.m. the previous night Israel time. Next to vote was Fiji, where Israel opened its embassy this summer.
“The upcoming elections are a celebration of democracy in Israel and its embassies abroad,” said Herzog, who expressed his thrill at participating at the polling station in Baku with Israeli Ambassador to Azerbaijan Ronen Kraus.
“I call on all Israeli citizens to exercise their democratic right and in a week and a half to go to the polling stations and vote. This is a great privilege, and it is also our collective responsibility to shape the future of the State of Israel,” Herzog said. Most Israelis will vote on election day, which is Oct. 27.
Several embassies celebrated by posting pictures to social media.
“Voting for Israel in the world’s largest democracy,” Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar wrote on X.
Walid Abu Haya, an Israeli Druze and ambassador to Georgia, posted: “This moment highlights the foundational strength of Israel’s democracy. Even amid profound challenges, our democratic resilience remains our greatest asset. Voting is both a privilege and an expression of our unwavering commitment to continued prosperity, security and strength of our nation and beloved Israel.”
Yaki Lopez, consul general to southern China, based in Guangzhou, wrote: “Happy Early Democracy Day Israel! ... For us diplomats in over 100 embassies and consulates around the world, elections come early, so as to allow for our ballots to arrive in Israel in time to be counted with the rest of the Israeli electorate—because every vote counts! So this morning I exercised my democratic right and voted for my party of choice. Wishing the people of Israel all the best in the coming election!”
In Canberra, Israeli Ambassador to Australia Hillel Newman voted alongside Deputy Ambassador Amir Meron and other embassy personnel, the mission said on X. It noted that diplomats and civil servants serving abroad vote early so their ballots can reach Israel in time for election day.
“As the only democracy in the Middle East, Israel’s 2026 election season is underway,” the Embassy of Israel in Australia wrote.
In Dubai, Israeli Consul General Sami Abu Janeb and his staff cast their ballots ahead of the Oct. 27 election, the mission posted on X.
Israeli Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg David Saranga posted that he had voted at the Israeli Embassy in Brussels. “Democracy and free elections are cornerstones of the State of Israel,” he wrote. “Our political views may differ, but as diplomats we all serve one country: Israel.”
Israeli Ambassador to the Netherlands Zvi Vapni wrote on X: “No matter how many times you are called upon to perform this duty, there is always something special and uplifting about this democratic moment.” He noted that Israeli diplomats worldwide were casting their ballots ahead of the Oct. 27 national election.
Israeli Ambassador to Sweden Tammy Rahamimoff-Honig also shared a video on X of her casting her ballot, captioned, “Stockholm calling!”
