Poll shows Netanyahu bloc loses seats as Smotrich rises and new far-right party falls short

A recent survey by Israel’s public broadcaster Kan shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc slipping to 51 seats, two fewer than in previous polls, while former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot’s bloc gains one seat. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich benefits from a shift in the far-right vote, taking support from Ofer Winter’s newly formed party, which does not meet the 3.25 % electoral threshold. The poll also allocates 13 seats to Arab parties United Arab List and the Joint List, though Eisenkot’s bloc intends to boycott them, leaving his bloc effectively at 52 seats.

Minor parties such as the Reservists (four seats) and Religious Zionism (seven seats) improve modestly, whereas Kahol Lavan remains below the threshold with 1.1 % support. The survey, conducted by the Kantar Institute with 554 respondents and a 4.2 % sampling error, mirrors other recent polls showing the opposition holding a combined 65 seats.