- Channel 13 survey puts pro-Netanyahu parties at 54 seats, with opposition on 52; neither bloc reaches the 61-seat threshold
JERUSALEM: A new Channel 13 opinion poll shows parties aligned with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holding a narrow lead over the opposition ahead of Israel’s October 27 parliamentary election, although neither side is projected to secure the 61 seats required for a majority in the 120-member Knesset.
The survey of 886 respondents, with a reported margin of error of ±3.3 percentage points, puts the broader pro-Netanyahu bloc at 54 seats, compared with 52 seats for the opposition bloc. Arab parties are projected to win the remaining 14 seats.
Yashar Leads Likud in Party-Level Support
Despite the pro-Netanyahu bloc’s overall lead in the survey, Netanyahu’s Likud is projected to win 18 seats, while Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party is forecast to take 22 seats, making it the largest individual party in the poll.
The figures underscore the distinction between the strength of an individual party and the combined seat totals of its potential political allies.
Another Poll Shows Continued Political Deadlock
The latest findings represent a change from Channel 13’s previous survey, which put the pro-Netanyahu and opposition blocs level at 53 seats each, with Arab parties holding the remaining seats.
Other recent Israeli surveys have likewise shown neither major bloc reaching the 61-seat threshold, reflecting continued uncertainty over the composition of the next Knesset.
Polls Offer Snapshot, Not Election Outcome
Israeli election surveys are being released frequently as the October 27 vote approaches. Individual polls can fluctuate because of sampling, methodology and changes in voter preferences, and they should not be treated as forecasts of the final result.
Taken together, however, the surveys provide a snapshot of the political landscape and indicate that coalition formation could remain a central issue after the election.
BY: The Times Union
