New Poll Shows Dramatic Shift in Israeli Politics, Challenging Netanyahu

A new poll conducted by Kan 11 and Kantar Institute, the first since official party lists were finalized, reveals significant shifts in public opinion and a tight race ahead of the upcoming elections. The survey indicates that the "Yashar" party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, is currently the largest party with 24 mandates, narrowly ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, which garnered 21 mandates.

Naftali Bennett's "Beiteinu" party secured 12 mandates, followed by the Democrats with 9, and United Torah Judaism with 8. Shas, Yisrael Beiteinu, Otzma Yehudit, and the Joint List each received 7 mandates. Ra'am and Religious Zionism obtained 5 mandates each.

Notably, Ofer Winter's "Am Israel" party and the party formed by Haim Hanegbi and Yifat Zeligman passed the electoral threshold, each winning 4 mandates. The poll also shows a complete tie in the bloc standings, with Eisenkot's bloc and Netanyahu's bloc each securing 52 mandates. Arab parties hold an additional 12 mandates, while the 4 mandates from Hanegbi and Zeligman's party remain undecided.

These results highlight the intense competition for floating votes and underscore the critical role of smaller and new parties in forming the next government. The political landscape is entering its final stretch in a state of tense equilibrium, with the main battle potentially resting on the ability of smaller lists to overcome the electoral threshold and tip the scales.