Gadi Eizenkot's Party Ties Likud in New Israeli Election Poll

A new poll published by Shirit Avitan Cohen in Israel Hayom shows Gadi Eizenkot's party, Yashar!, tied with Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, each receiving 23 seats in the Knesset. This marks a decline of one seat for Likud compared to the previous poll, while Eizenkot's party continues to strengthen its position as a leading contender for forming the next government. Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu holds steady at nine seats, with Lieberman positioning himself as a prime minister candidate who might demand a significant role or rotation in a coalition led by Eizenkot.

Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid's parties remain stable at 14 seats each. The Democratic camp, led by Yair Golan, rises to 10 seats following recent primaries. The Religious Zionism party, headed by Bezalel Smotrich, gains one seat to reach five. Meanwhile, the new party formed by Yoaz Hendel and Hili Tropper fails to cross the electoral threshold, as do the joint list of Benny Gantz and Dedi Simchi, and other smaller parties.

The poll highlights fragmentation among new parties competing for a similar voter base, collectively capable of winning eight to ten seats but individually falling short due to vote splitting. A hypothetical scenario where Gantz and Simchi join forces with Ayelet Shaked and Yuli Edelstein shows the united list surpassing the threshold with five seats, pushing Hendel and Tropper's party out.

Sources indicate that Gilad Erdan plans to launch a new right-wing list within the coming week, focusing on demands for a unity government and prioritizing the military draft issue, potentially reshaping the electoral landscape once again.