Likud Identifies Loss of Young, Mizrahi-Heritage Voters

The Likud party is attempting to identify and win back voters it has lost, particularly young people from Mizrahi-heritage homes who have traditionally supported the party. This effort comes after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly stated in closed-door conversations that the party had lost "ten mandates." The party is now working to characterize these departing voters, identifying them as secular youth, originally from peripheral areas, who grew up in Likud-supporting Mizrahi households but have since moved away from the party.

This perceived shift is cited as a reason for Netanyahu's attempts to secure spots on the Likud list for figures like Netali Shem-Tov and Dr. Keren Assaig. However, official Likud sources have countered these concerns, asserting that internal polls show Netanyahu's bloc with "more than 61 mandates."

Recent polling data from Kan News indicates a significant drop for Netanyahu, though other figures like Benny Gantz and Bezalel Smotrich are shown to be crossing the electoral threshold.