Israel pre-election survey: Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar leads Netanyahu’s Likud
Netanyahu’s current coalition is projected to win 52 seats, while opposition parties would secure 57 seats.
A recent poll reveals that Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party narrowly leads Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud in Israel's upcoming election, according to KAN News. The Kantar Institute's survey, conducted on August 18, projects Yashar to secure 24 seats, one more than Likud's 23 in the 120-member Knesset. Naftali Bennett's B'Yachad party came in third with 14 seats.
Netanyahu's coalition is expected to hold 52 seats, while opposition parties would gather 57. Arab parties are expected to hold 11 seats. Despite the Likud members selecting candidates for the October 27 general election, the political balance is projected to remain largely unchanged. This poll serves as a test of Netanyahu's influence over Likud, with the top positions largely filled by figures considered close to the prime minister.
The Likud slate includes Energy Minister Eli Cohen, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Transportation Minister Miri Regev, and coalition chairman Ofir Katz. Netanyahu, 76, faces a strong challenge from rival political forces, including Yair Golan's Democrats (10 seats), Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit (9 seats), Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu (9 seats), United Torah Judaism (8 seats), Arye Deri's Shas (7 seats), Hadash-Ta'al (6 seats), and Mansour Abbas's Ra'am (5 seats).
Smotrich’s Religious Zionist Party is projected to win five seats, one more than the previous poll. The survey polled 2,327 people, with 558 respondents aged 18 and above participating. The sampling error was ±4.2%.
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