A recent television poll in Israel reveals a deadlock between the political bloc supporting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the opposition parties, each securing 53 seats. Meanwhile, Arab parties are forecasted to gain 14 seats. With neither group close to the 61 seats necessary for a Knesset majority, the political landscape remains highly competitive.
This latest poll shows a significant change from earlier predictions, which favored the opposition with a 57-48 lead. The shift is mainly credited to two right-wing parties making their way into the projected Knesset. Ofer Winter’s People of Israel is expected to claim four seats, while the coalition of Religious Zionism-Zehut is projected to secure six.
Netanyahu’s Likud party has managed to close the gap with the opposition’s leading party, Yashar, headed by Gadi Eisenkot. Yashar is now anticipated to win 22 seats, while Likud closely follows with 21. In another development, the primarily Arab Joint List has gained additional support, rising to nine seats.
However, not all parties are experiencing upward momentum. The B’Yachad alliance, led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, has seen its projected seat count fall to 12. Additionally, several parties, including Unity, Blue and White, and Zionist Home-The Reservists, are predicted to fall short of the electoral threshold required for Knesset representation.
The survey, which included 940 respondents, carries a margin of error of 3.4%, indicating a dynamic and uncertain political environment as parties continue to vie for dominance in the Israeli political arena.