A recent television poll from Israel indicates that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s supporting bloc and the opposition parties are in a deadlock, with each securing 53 seats. Meanwhile, Arab parties are anticipated to occupy 14 seats in the Knesset. This configuration leaves both sides short of the 61-seat majority required to form a ruling government.
The current poll marks a notable change from earlier assessments, which previously showed the opposition leading with 57 seats compared to Netanyahu’s 48. The shift in projections is mainly due to the emergence of two right-wing parties: Ofer Winter’s People of Israel, expected to enter the Knesset with four seats, and the recently merged Religious Zionism-Zehut alliance, projected to gain six seats.
The Likud party, led by Netanyahu, has slightly closed the gap against the opposition’s leading party, Yashar, headed by Gadi Eisenkot. Yashar is estimated to win 22 seats, just one seat ahead of Likud’s 21. Meanwhile, the predominantly Arab Joint List has increased its backing, reaching nine seats.
On the other hand, the B’Yachad alliance, led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, has seen a decline, now predicted to secure 12 seats. Additionally, several other parties, such as Unity, Blue and White, and Zionist Home-The Reservists, are expected to fall short of the electoral threshold necessary to enter the Knesset.
The poll, which surveyed 940 individuals, has a margin of error of 3.4%, underscoring the potential volatility and shifting dynamics within Israeli politics as parties vie for influence and control.