Gadi Eisenkot's Party Surpasses Likud in Dramatic Israeli Election Poll

A new poll published on Sunday by Kan News reveals a significant shift in Israeli political standings ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections. Gadi Eisenkot's party, Yashar!, has overtaken Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud as the largest party, securing 24 seats compared to Likud's 23. This marks a notable change in the political landscape just days before the Knesset is dissolved and the election campaign intensifies.

The poll also shows a decline for Naftali Bennett's Yachdut party, which dropped to 15 seats, and Otzma Yehudit led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, which lost one seat to stand at eight. The Democratic Front for Peace and Equality (Hadash-Ta'al) fell to five seats, while the United Arab List (Ra'am) gained one seat, also holding five. Israel Beytenu increased to ten seats, while Shas, United Torah Judaism, and Religious Zionism remained steady at eight, eight, and five seats respectively.

Regarding the political blocs, Netanyahu's right-wing bloc weakened to 52 seats, while the opposition bloc gained 68 seats. However, if opposition leaders refuse to cooperate with Hadash-Ta'al and Ra'am, their combined seats drop to 58. In a scenario where two new right-wing parties emerge, one led by Gilad Erdan, Ayelet Shaked, and Yuli Edelstein gaining five seats, and another led by Ofer Winter failing to pass the electoral threshold, Netanyahu's bloc would shrink to 49 seats. The opposition bloc plus the new party would then hold 61 seats without the Arab parties.

Another scenario involves Yoaz Hendel joining Eisenkot's Yashar!, boosting it to 25 seats and widening its lead over Likud by two seats, while Bennett's party falls to 14 seats. The poll also asked voters about the key election issue: 25% cited security, 24% pointed to the October 7 massacre and the establishment of a commission of inquiry, 22% mentioned the economy and cost of living, and 12% focused on judicial reform.

These results indicate a volatile and competitive election ahead, with potential shifts in alliances and voter priorities shaping the final outcome.