Gantz Leads With Most Seats as Mansour Abbas's Ra'am Hits Record High in New Poll

A new poll by Channel 13 reveals significant shifts in Israeli political alignments ahead of upcoming elections. Benny Gantz's party tops the chart with 23 seats, surpassing Likud's 22 seats led by Benjamin Netanyahu. The poll reflects the impact of recent party mergers and new formations, particularly among center-right and right-wing factions, which have diluted the nationalist bloc's strength.

The results show the Blue and White alliance (Gantz's bloc) holding 58 seats, while Netanyahu's bloc stands at 51. Smaller parties like Yisrael Beiteinu and the Democrats each secure 11 seats, with Otzma Yehudit gaining 9 seats. Religious parties such as United Torah Judaism and Shas maintain 8 and 7 seats respectively. The Joint List holds 6 seats, Religious Zionism 5, and notably, the Ra'am party led by Mansour Abbas achieves 5 seats, marking an unprecedented level of support.

The poll also indicates that the party of Trooper and Handel fails to cross the electoral threshold. Both Naftali Bennett and Shas show signs of weakening support. A striking scenario emerges if Yoav Segalovitz joins Ra'am, potentially boosting the party's seats from 5 to 7, enhancing its influence in the next Knesset.

These developments suggest a fragmented political landscape with shifting alliances that could significantly affect coalition formations after the elections.