Smotrich-Feiglin merger leads to passing Knesset electoral threshold, boosting PMs coalition - poll
The Ofer Winter-led People of Israel party also passed the threshold with four seats, boosting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition to 51 seats in the poll for the first time since May.
The alliance between Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionist Party and Moshe Feiglin's Zehut party has exceeded the 3.25% electoral threshold, gaining five seats, according to the latest poll published by Maariv. This boost brings Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition to 51 seats for the first time since May.
In contrast, the opposition bloc has dropped by two seats to 57, primarily due to a two-seat weakening of Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party. The Arab parties also experienced a one-seat loss compared to last week's poll. Despite this, both the RZP and People of Israel party are still at risk of falling short of the threshold, potentially altering the coalition picture.
The poll additionally asked respondents who they deemed most suitable to become the next prime minister. The support for incumbent Netanyahu has narrowed, with 48% supporting Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot and 39% backing Netanyahu. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and former Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman are also viable candidates, with 43% and 39% support, respectively.
Lastly, the poll revealed that 55% of respondents fear a potential war between Israel and Iran in the near future, with 39% not expressing concern.
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