Israeli Election Surprises: Settlements and Druze Villages Show Shifting Political Tides

The recent elections revealed unexpected voting patterns in several Israeli communities, deviating from traditional political alignments. In Nativ HaGedud, a settlement in the Jordan Valley, the "Democrats" party secured 31.4% of the vote, making it one of the few settlements in Judea and Samaria to strongly support the "change bloc." The "Yashar" party followed with 25%, while the Likud garnered 15.4%.

In Ein Qiniya, a Druze village in the Golan Heights, Sharon Haskel's "Israel First" party received 28.5% of the vote, a notable performance attributed to the local council head, Wael Mugrabi, being fourth on her list. Israel Beiteinu led with 36.5% in the village, followed by "Israel First."

Conversely, the Druze local council of Kasra-Sumiya saw a significant shift, with the Likud winning 47.3% of the vote, a stark contrast to the 2022 elections where the National Unity party, led by Beni Gantz, dominated with 39.8%. Israel Beiteinu received 19.9% and Yashar 17.2% in Kasra-Sumiya.

The religious party "Noam L'Yisrael" failed to enter the 26th Knesset, receiving only a few thousand votes nationwide. However, it showed strength in specific settlements, obtaining 12.3% in Qeshet in the Golan and nearly 30% in Bnei Netsarim, though it only managed about 6.5% in Har Homa, Jerusalem.

Sharon Haskel's new party, "Israel First," which she formed after leaving Gideon Sa'ar, performed poorly, receiving fewer than 1,000 votes nationally. Her party was even surpassed by "King Sharsher" with his party "Sharsher for Love and Unity of the People," which garnered 1,572 votes compared to "Israel First's" 804.