Poll Shows Likud Leading Ahead of Knesset Elections

A final poll conducted by Israel's Channel 14 indicates that the right-wing bloc is poised to secure 62 out of 120 seats in the upcoming Knesset elections, scheduled for October 27. This projected outcome would allow the formation of a governing coalition without the need for opposition parties. The Likud party, led by incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is expected to be the largest single party, winning 30 seats. The Yashar party, headed by Gadi Eisenkot, is projected to come in second with 20 seats. The poll, conducted by research company NEXT DATA under sociologist Shlomo Filber, surveyed 7,937 adult citizens.

Other parties' projected seat counts include Naftali Bennett's party with 11 seats, Shas with nine, and the Democrats list led by Yair Golan also with eight. Otzma Yehudit, United Torah Judaism, and the Joint List are each expected to receive eight seats. The Religious Zionism-Zehut alliance is projected to win seven seats, while Mansour Abbas's Ra'am party is expected to secure six, and Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu list is projected to hold five seats. Several smaller parties, including Reservists-Economy, Amcha Israel, Noam, the Haredi People's Party, and Ahi - Return to Roots, failed to cross the electoral threshold.

The poll also indicated that the center-left bloc would win 44 seats and Arab parties would collectively gain 14 seats. Even a hypothetical alliance between the opposition and Arab parties would only reach 58 seats, four short of the right-wing bloc's projected total. In a personal trust rating for prime minister candidates, Netanyahu led significantly, with 54% support against Eisenkot's 32%, Bennett's 10%, and Lieberman's 4%. In a direct comparison between Netanyahu and Eisenkot, Netanyahu received 55% of the vote compared to Eisenkot's 45%.