Yaron Zelekha's Party to Sue Pollsters Over Survey Inclusion

Professor Yaron Zelekha, leading the "The Economic" party alongside Yoaz Hendel, announced his intention to file a complaint with the Central Elections Committee chairman next week against several polling firms, including "Midgam," which conducts polls for Channel 12 News. The complaint will allege that in some election surveys, respondents were not given the option to select Zelekha's party, even when they requested to do so.

Zelekha claims to possess audio evidence of a respondent being denied the choice to vote for his party. He stated that the complaint will not solely target Midgam but will also encompass other polling organizations where "The Economic" was omitted as a choice. This is not the first time Zelekha has publicly criticized pollsters, particularly concerning his party's absence from survey results, which he argues prevents an accurate assessment of its electoral viability.

This dispute with Channel 12 over polling methodology is ongoing. In the 2022 election cycle, Zelekha accused the network of unfair treatment, alleging his party's name was replaced with another in a published poll. While Midgam did include "The Economic" in some of its 2022 surveys, showing it with 1-1.3% support, Zelekha has consistently maintained that media outlets often commission polls that exclude his party.

Following the recent merger of Zelekha's and Hendel's parties, their joint list is now appearing in polls, though results vary significantly. A poll by Kan 11 News indicated they would surpass the electoral threshold and gain four seats, while a Channel 14 poll suggested they would not. Zelekha's party previously commissioned its own independent poll, which reportedly showed significantly higher support than most public surveys.