The new immigrants who could decide the elections - and their connection to pumpkin

A new study reveals that over 130,000 new immigrants from Russia and Ukraine who have arrived since 2022 are eligible to vote and could decide the elections. The new immigrants are less right-wing than their predecessors: 31% support the right compared to 59% of veteran immigrants. About a third have not yet decided who to vote for. The article describes an event by 'Ze'ev Project' and presents the phenomenon of 'Pumpkin Spice Latte Aliyah'.

A new study by the Viterbi Center at the Israel Democracy Institute shows that over 130,000 new immigrants from Russia and Ukraine who arrived since 2022 are eligible to vote and could decide the upcoming elections. The new immigrants are less inclined to the right than their predecessors: 31% support the right compared to 59% of veteran immigrants and 66% of the second generation. About a third of the new immigrants have not yet decided who to vote for. The article describes an event by 'Ze'ev Project' in Tel Aviv, where representatives of parties such as Likud, Yisrael Beiteinu, Zehut, and Otzma Yehudit showed up for a confrontation, while 'Yashar' of Gadi Eisenkot and the Democrats were not represented. The new immigrants, called the 'Pumpkin Spice Latte Aliyah', are young, urban, and educated, and some arrived in Israel in an emergency following the war in Ukraine. Their sense of belonging to Israel rose from 32% in September 2023 to 58% in May 2026.