Young Israeli Voters Boost Far-Right Parties Ahead of October Election, Poll Shows
A poll of 18-22-year-olds shows Otzma Yehudit and the Religious Zionist alliance each near 8% support, outpacing Likud.
A new poll of 543 Israeli citizens aged 18 to 22 indicates that the far-right Otzma Yehudit party would receive 8.88% of the vote, translating to 15 Knesset seats, while the Religious Zionist alliance would capture 8.09% and 14 seats. Combined, these two groups would hold about 29 seats, surpassing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud, which polls at 7.95% (14 seats). The Together alliance led by Naftali Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party each rank close behind, with 8.98% and 8.75% respectively.
The Zionist Democrats and the Joint List each sit near 5% support. Compared with the 2022 election, where the two far-right parties won only 14 seats, their projected share among first-time voters has risen sharply, reflecting growing appeal of settlement expansion and tough policies on Palestinian prisoners. Approximately 500,000 new voters are expected in the October 27 election, making this demographic increasingly pivotal.
Why it matters
Young voters could tilt Israel’s upcoming election toward more hard-line policies.
How the sides frame it
LOW AGREEMENTLeft-leaning coverage emphasizes the poll’s seat projections and the growing appeal of settlement expansion, while right-leaning coverage stresses that young voters are driven by security concerns after the Oct 7 attack.
LEFT
Frames the story as a notable surge in far-right electoral support among first-time voters, linked to settlement expansion and hard-line policies.
RIGHT
Frames the story as youth turning to far-right parties because security fears after the Oct 7 Hamas assault make hard-line measures attractive.
The left emphasises
- far-right Otzma Yehudit projected at 8.88% (15 seats) and Religious Zionist alliance at 8.09% (14 seats)
- combined far-right seats would surpass Netanyahu’s Likud
- rise reflects growing appeal of settlement expansion and tough policies
The right emphasises
- 74% of 18-22-year-olds describe views as right or centre-right
- security is the sole priority after the Oct 7 Hamas assault
- youth backing ultra-nationalist parties and harsh measures such as a death-penalty law
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