New Haredi Party Shows Early Support in Israeli Polls

A newly launched political party, 'The Haredi Public' led by Moti Leitner, has garnered significant early support, polling at 1.2% nationally just one week after its inception. This figure, translating to tens of thousands of potential voters, places the party close to crossing the electoral threshold for two Knesset seats.

The party aims to represent an independent Haredi voice, focusing on issues such as preserving religious study, addressing educational and housing challenges, and improving livelihoods. It seeks to provide an alternative for Haredim who feel unrepresented by existing Haredi parties.

In a hypothetical scenario where current party alignments remain, 'The Haredi Public' secures 1.2% of the vote. If Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism were to merge with Moshe Feiglin's party, Leitner's party would see a boost to 1.5%, nearing the two-seat mark.

The poll also revealed broader political trends, with Gadi Eisenkot's 'Yash' party leading with 24 seats, followed by the Likud with 21. Other parties like Naftali Bennett's 'Bamahane' (16 seats), Yair Golan's Democrats (11 seats), and Yisrael Beiteinu and Otzma Yehudit (9 seats each) were also surveyed. The existing Haredi parties, United Torah Judaism and Shas, polled at 8 and 7 seats respectively.

In a separate scenario, former Brigadier General Ofer Winter running independently could secure 4 seats, potentially pushing Smotrich's party below the electoral threshold. This scenario would result in a coalition bloc of only 49 seats, compared to 71 for the opposition and Arab parties combined.

The emergence of 'The Haredi Public' with substantial initial backing indicates potential shifts within the Haredi community and could impact the internal political balance.