Poll Shows Right-Wing Bloc Gains Seats After Netanyahu's List Moves

A new poll conducted by NEXT DATA for Channel 14 indicates that the right-wing bloc in Israel has strengthened, reaching 64 Knesset seats following the finalization of party lists and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's moves within the Likud party. The left-wing bloc remained unchanged with 44 seats, while Arab parties saw a slight decrease from 13 to 12 seats.

The Likud party, led by Netanyahu, saw its projected seat count increase from 30 to 31. Other parties on the right also showed shifts: Yisrael Beiteinu and Naftali Bennett's party each gained a seat, moving to 7, while Shas maintained its 10 seats. The Religious Zionism party and Otzma Yehudit each held steady with 8 seats.

On the left, Yesh Atid remained in second place with 22 seats, but the Democratic Party saw a decline from 10 to 8 seats. Among Arab parties, Hadash-Ta'al-Balad lost seats, dropping from 8 to 6, while Ra'am gained one seat to reach 6.

In terms of leadership, Netanyahu continues to lead in suitability for prime minister with 51%, though Benny Gantz's support increased to 34%. The poll also revealed that the vast majority of voters (88%) did not change their voting decision after the party lists were finalized. Among Likud voters, 55% felt that Netanyahu's placements on the list increased their likelihood of voting for the party.

Furthermore, the poll found that 80% of respondents believe that small parties failing to cross the electoral threshold should withdraw from the race.