Poll Shows Majority of Israeli Right-Wing Voters Favor Technical Bloc

A new poll reveals that 85% of voters for Ofer Vinter's "Am Israel" party support forming a technical bloc with other small right-wing parties, despite Vinter's personal opposition to such a move. The survey, conducted by the Maagar Mochot institute for Channel 7's "Israel Election Barometer" before the recent merger announcement between the Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit parties, focused on the preferences of voters from smaller right-wing factions regarding joint technical runs.

Across the surveyed parties, Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit, Am Israel, and Noam, a significant majority expressed strong support for a technical bloc, where parties maintain their individual identities. Support ranged from 87% to 93% for Religious Zionism, Otzma Yehudit, and Am Israel, while 65% of Noam voters also favored a technical union.

The poll also explored voter behavior if their party runs alone and fails to pass the electoral threshold. For "Am Israel" and Noam, if they remain on the political fringe, a substantial portion of their supporters, around 17% and 34% respectively, indicated they would switch to a unified technical bloc. If "Am Israel" is borderline, only 46% would remain loyal, with others undecided or leaning towards the bloc. For Noam, which is currently far from the threshold, only 29% would stick with the party if it runs alone, while 56% would prefer the technical bloc.

The merger between Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit is expected to lose minimal votes, with less than 1% of their voters indicating they would not support the unified list. This union is seen as a safe bet for passing the electoral threshold. The potential impact of a merger with Noam is considered more complex.

The "Israel Election Barometer" highlights broad support for a technical bloc, suggesting that if "Am Israel" and Noam do not join such a union, many of their voters may abandon them for the larger, unified list. The deadline for party list submissions is next Tuesday at 10:00 PM.