First-time Jewish voters could account for up to 12 Knesset seats in upcoming election - poll

An upcoming Israeli election could see up to 12 Knesset seats won by first-time Jewish voters, according to a recent poll. The N12 report, published on Wednesday, estimates that around 550,000 young Israelis will cast their first ballots in the coming election. Despite a general rightward political lean, support for various parties remains distributed rather than concentrated in a single camp.

While 74% of respondents identified as right-wing or center-right, 23% considered themselves left-wing or center-left. If elections were held immediately, 16% of voters would back Yashar, led by Gadi Eisenkot, while 14% would support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud. Naftali Bennett's B Yachad received 10% of support, followed by United Torah Judaism at 9%, and Yair Golan's Democrats with 7%.

The fragmented race involves Yashar and Likud as the leading parties, with religious Zionism and Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu each securing 6%, Otzma Yehudit at 5%, and Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelekha's joint list at 4%. Shas and Ofer Winter's People of Israel each garnered 3%. Other parties received around 1% each, with 10% of respondents undecided.

The N12 poll differs from other surveys of the broader adult population, with figures varying between haredi, secular, and religious demographics. Family voting patterns also influence decision-making, with 59% of respondents planning to vote for the same party as their parents, while 21% intend to vote differently. When asked to choose between Netanyahu and Bennett as prime minister candidates, 46% supported Netanyahu, 34% backed Bennett, 15% remained undecided, and 5% did not know.