Israeli Election Polls Predict Record Number of Women in Next Knesset

With 46 days remaining until the upcoming election on October 27, analysis of recent polls suggests the 26th Knesset will see a record number of female lawmakers, though no woman is projected to lead a party. The "Yisrael!" party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, is expected to win 24 seats, with half of its members being women, including former minister Orit Farkash-Hacohen. Naftali Bennett's "Bechud" party is predicted to have six women among its 12 seats, with former director-general of the Treasury and Transportation ministries, Keren Turner, as the highest-ranking woman.

In contrast, parties currently in the governing coalition are expected to have significantly fewer women. The Likud party is projected to have only three women among its 20 seats, while Otzma Yehudit and the Religious Zionism-Identity list are expected to include two and one woman respectively. The ultra-Orthodox parties, United Torah Judaism and Shas, are not expected to have any women in their Knesset lists, a recurring pattern. The Joint List is predicted to have one woman in a realistic position, and Ra'am is expected to have one.

Overall, polls indicate that at least 34 women will be elected to the Knesset, four more than in the previous two Knessets. However, the distribution of these seats reveals a stark disparity between political blocs. The "Change Bloc" (excluding Arab parties) is expected to comprise 46% women, while parties supporting Benjamin Netanyahu are projected to have only 13% women. The article also highlights a significant difference in the military and security backgrounds of candidates between the blocs, with the "Change Bloc" featuring former high-ranking military and intelligence officials, while Netanyahu's supporting parties lack such representation.

The polls also suggest that approximately 48 new lawmakers, nearly 40% of the Knesset, will enter parliament, close to the historical record. The "Yisrael!" party is expected to contribute 18 of these new members. The article notes the inclusion of individuals with personal connections to the October 7th attacks and the subsequent war, as well as prominent figures from the protest movement against the judicial overhaul. Representation for immigrants from Commonwealth of Independent States countries and the Ethiopian community is expected to decrease.