Israeli Coalition Bloc One Seat Shy of Absolute Majority in New Poll

With less than three weeks until Israel's October 27 legislative elections, a new i24NEWS poll conducted by Direct Polls shows shifts in voting intentions. Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party are each projected to lose two seats, while Naftali Bennett's formation gains ground.

The poll indicates the Likud would remain the largest party in the Knesset with 26 seats, down from 28 in the previous October 1 survey. Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party is also expected to drop two seats, from 22 to 20. Conversely, Naftali Bennett's Beyahad party is projected to gain two seats, reaching 11, possibly due to voters shifting from Eisenkot's party. Yair Golan's Democrats are expected to gain one seat for a total of 10.

On the right, Itamar Ben Gvir's Otzma Yehudit is forecast to gain one seat to reach 9, potentially at the Likud's expense. Religious Zionism and Zehut are also predicted to gain one seat each, totaling 6. The ultra-Orthodox parties are stable, with United Torah Judaism at 8 seats and Shas at 7. Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beiteinu is also stable with 7 seats.

Among Arab parties, the Joint List is expected to lose one seat, falling to 7, while Ra'am will maintain its 5 seats. Ofer Winter's Amcha Israel party is projected to stay at 4 seats.

The coalition bloc is projected to secure 60 seats, compared to 48 for the "change bloc" and 12 for Arab parties. The change bloc gains one seat from the previous week, while Arab parties lose one. These results follow a politically charged week in Israel, marked by intensified campaigning and inter-party attacks.