Poll Shows Arab Parties Winning 12 Seats, Smotrich-Feiglin Alliance Boosts Netanyahu Bloc

A new poll published by the Israeli newspaper Maariv indicates that the alliance between Bezalel Smotrich, head of the Religious Zionism party, and right-wing leader Moshe Feiglin is impacting the parliamentary seat distribution. The survey suggests Arab parties collectively would secure 12 seats, with the United Arab List receiving 7. The opposition bloc is projected to win 57 seats, while Netanyahu's bloc would gain 51 seats.

If Smotrich and Feiglin form a joint list, they would win 5 seats, surpassing the electoral threshold. The "Yishar" party is also projected to pass the threshold with 4 seats. According to Maariv, this alliance would strengthen Netanyahu's bloc to 51 seats, its highest point since May, while reducing the opposition bloc's seats to 57.

The poll also revealed that parties failing to cross the electoral threshold account for 6.7% of the vote, equivalent to approximately 8 seats. Several parties, including "Religious Zionism" and "Yishar," are close to the threshold, meaning their failure to pass it could significantly alter seat distribution.

In terms of leadership suitability, former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot leads Benjamin Netanyahu, with 48% favoring Eisenkot for Prime Minister compared to 39% for Netanyahu. Naftali Bennett also leads Netanyahu in this metric, with 43% to Netanyahu's 39%.

Additionally, the poll found that 55% of Israelis fear a future military confrontation with Iran. It also highlighted a societal division regarding the claim of "internal betrayal" during the October 7th attacks, with 44% denying it and 40% believing it occurred. A majority of opposition voters (52%) support further alliances within the opposition bloc before the next elections.