New Polls Show Shifting Support Among Young Israeli Voters

Recent polling data indicates a significant shift in voter preferences, particularly among young Israelis, as the country heads towards elections. The Likud party has gained one seat, reaching 23 mandates, while Yesh Atid remains close with 22. Other parties like Yisrael Beiteinu, Shas, and United Torah Judaism each hold 8 mandates. The Joint List maintains 7 mandates, with Otzma Yehudit seeing a decline to the same number. Religious Zionism and Zehut are polling at 6 mandates, and Ra'am at 5. Notably, the party led by Winter is projected to pass the electoral threshold in most polls, securing 4 mandates, while the party led by Handel and Zlicha crosses the threshold in about half the polls, also receiving 4 mandates.

The coalition bloc, despite a slight decrease, maintains a lead with 54 mandates. The opposition, excluding Arab parties, holds 51 mandates, with Arab parties collectively securing 12. The outcome of the election may hinge on whether Handel and Zlicha's party successfully passes the electoral threshold.

A key factor influencing the election is the emergence of 550,000 new voters aged 18 to 22. Traditionally, Itamar Ben-Gvir of Otzma Yehudit was considered the favored candidate among young and first-time voters. However, a recent poll by Midgam Institute for Channel 12's "The Central Edition" reveals a surprising trend: Ben-Gvir's party is only capturing 5% of the first-time voter demographic. In contrast, his former partner Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism party, along with Zehut, slightly surpasses Ben-Gvir with 6% of these votes.

The leading party among young voters is Yisrael, with 16% of the vote, followed by the Likud at 14%. This data suggests a potential move by young Israeli voters towards more mainstream political leadership, distancing themselves from more extreme political styles. This trend is expected to be a major focus for pollsters and campaign strategists in the coming month.