Yesh Atid Faces Major Losses as Joint List with Bennett Slumps in Polls

Members of the Israeli political party Yesh Atid are increasingly concerned about their future in the Knesset due to the ongoing decline in polls for the joint list "Together," formed by Yair Lapid and Naftali Bennett. According to a report by i24, internal party discussions reveal that only six to eight current lawmakers are expected to secure realistic spots on the party list for the next election, with most others likely losing their seats. The few seats expected to remain are primarily reserved for the party's top five leaders: Yair Lapid, Meir Cohen, Merav Ben Ari, Merav Cohen, and Naor Shiri.

The joint list was announced in April, when Lapid's party was polling around six mandates and Bennett's around twenty. Four months later, their combined support has dropped to approximately 14 mandates, with some polls showing as low as nine mandates. Yesh Atid currently holds 24 seats, making it the largest opposition faction, but the party has experienced numerous resignations and departures, including Orna Barbivai, Yoel Razvozov, Idan Roll, Meir Cohen, Boaz Toporovsky, Ron Katz, and Yaron Levy.

The crowded candidate list within the joint "Together" alliance and fears of losing realistic spots have led some Yesh Atid members to explore alternative political options. For example, Yoav Segalovitz is reportedly negotiating a high placement on the Ra'am party list, and Elazar Stern plans to run with the "Yashar!" party led by Gadi Eisenkot. Meanwhile, Bennett continues to strengthen his faction within the joint list by adding nine prominent figures, including Jonathan Shalev, Keren Turner, Liran Abisher Ben-Horin, and MK Eitan Ginzburg, further squeezing Yesh Atid members out of viable positions.

The party now awaits election day to see if the downward trend in polls will result in a significant reduction of Yesh Atid's Knesset representation or if the alliance between Lapid and Bennett can recover enough support to preserve some incumbent seats.