New Poll Shows Netanyahu Bloc Gaining as Opposition Weakens

A new poll conducted by Lazar Research for Maariv newspaper indicates a significant shift in the Israeli political landscape. The merger between Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party and Moshe Feiglin's Zehut party has resulted in a joint list that surpasses the electoral threshold, securing 5 mandates. Concurrently, Ofer Winter's 'Am Israel' party also clears the threshold, gaining 4 mandates.

These developments strengthen Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc, which now stands at 51 mandates, its highest point since May. Conversely, the opposition bloc has weakened, dropping to 57 mandates, largely due to a 2-mandate loss for the 'Yesh!' party. Arab parties also saw a slight decrease of one mandate.

In the full mandate distribution, 'Yesh!' leads with 23 seats, followed by the Likud with 20, and 'Achva' with 15. The Democrats garner 10 mandates, and Yisrael Beiteinu secures 9. Otzma Yehudit receives 8 mandates, while United Torah Judaism, the Hadash-Ta'al-Balad alliance, and Shas each obtain 7 mandates.

The Religious Zionism-Zehut joint list and Ra'am both secure 5 mandates, and 'Am Israel' receives 4. The poll also shows a reduction in wasted votes, with parties failing to pass the electoral threshold accounting for only 6.7% of the vote, equivalent to about 8 mandates. Notable parties that did not pass include the 'Zionist Home-Reservists' (2.1%) and the Economic Party (1.7%).