Israel’s Opposition Party Yisrael Beytenu Surges as Likud Primaries Conclude

As Israel heads toward new elections, the latest polls reveal significant shifts among key political parties. The Likud party maintains its strength with 25 seats, but the opposition party Yisrael Beytenu, led by Benny Gantz, has surged, gaining two seats to also reach 25 mandates, tying with Likud as the leading party. Other parties such as Yamina remain steady with 12 seats, while the Democratic Union holds 10. Smaller parties like Otzma Yehudit, United Torah Judaism, and Shas each have eight seats, and parties including Hadash-Ta’al, Religious Zionism, and Ra’am hold five seats each.

The rise of Yisrael Beytenu is notable, marking a record high in recent polls, particularly in surveys by Channel 13 and Maariv where it gained four seats in a week. This increase appears linked to the decline of the Zionist Home party, which fell below the electoral threshold in these polls. Additional gains for Yisrael Beytenu were observed in polls by Channels 11, 14, and i24news, suggesting the party may have also drawn support from other opposition factions, including a loss of one seat by Yisrael Beiteinu’s rival parties.

Despite the recent Likud primaries, which concluded this week, there is no clear indication that the changes within Likud will attract new voters. A Channel 14 poll shows 53% of coalition voters believe the new Likud list will increase their likelihood to vote for the party, yet 52% feel the party’s positions remain unchanged. The opposition bloc, excluding Arab parties, holds an average of 56 seats, while Arab parties maintain 11 seats, and the coalition bloc remains at 54 seats.

These polling trends highlight a competitive and fluid political landscape as Israel prepares for its upcoming elections, with Yisrael Beytenu’s rise potentially reshaping the opposition’s strength and the overall balance of power.