Poll shows pro- and anti-Netanyahu blocs shy of majority; new right-wing parties fall short

A poll by the Kan public broadcaster shows neither the pro- nor anti-Netanyahu blocs gaining enough seats to form a government following the October 27 election.

Neither of the two new right-wing parties would gain enough votes to enter the Knesset, the poll shows. One is led by Chili Tropper and Yoaz Hendel, while the other is led by Gilad Erdan and Yuli Edelstein, both of whom are former ministers from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party.

Benny Gantz’s center-right Blue and White party, thought to be in the same ideological lane as those two parties, also falls short in the poll.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party leads the poll with 24 seats, while Yashar, led by his top rival Gadi Eisenkot, would win 23.

Next in line are three anti-Netanyahu parties: B’Yachad with 13, the Democrats with 10 and Yisrael Beytenu with 10. After that are three pro-Netanyahu parties with eight seats each: Otzma Yehudit, Shas and United Torah Judaism. The pro-Netanyahu Religious Zionism party would win five.

Among Arab parties, Ra’am would win six, while Hadash-Ta’al would win five and Balad would fall short of gaining seats.

Overall, the poll shows the anti-Netanyahu Jewish parties with 56 seats, the pro-Netanyahu parties with 53, and the Arab parties with 11, all short of a 61-seat majority in the 120-seat Knesset.