High School Mock Election Predicts Coalition Shift, Benny Gantz's Party Wins

Students at Blich High School in Ramat Gan participated in the school's traditional mock election on Thursday, with Gadi Eisenkot's "Yashar!" party emerging as the clear winner, securing 32% of the vote. Naftali Bennett's "Yachad" party followed with 22%, while the Likud party garnered 15% and Otzma Yehudit received 9%. The Democratic Party received 7% and Yisrael Beiteinu 4% of the votes.

Despite most student voters not yet being eligible to vote in national elections, the results are considered significant due to Blich High School's historical track record. Past mock elections at the school have been seen as precursors to national election outcomes, notably in 1977 when student votes aligned with the Likud's rise to power, and in 1992, when they favored Yitzhak Rabin and the Labor party, who subsequently won the national elections. While the predictive power has become less consistent in recent years, the tradition continues to draw attention.

This year's election saw extensive political activity, with numerous senior politicians visiting the school to campaign. Speakers included Eisenkot, Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, Simcha Rothman, Naftali Bennett, Naama Lazimi, Rafi Ben Shitrit, and Yitzhak Kroizer. Itamar Ben-Gvir and Yosef Haddad also participated in events, which were marked by confrontations between students and party supporters throughout the week.