Netanyahu’s Likud loses ground as majority remains elusive

The survey conducted by the Kantar Institute for Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation KAN showed Likud dropping to 20 seats in the 120-member Knesset, down one from the previous week’s poll. Netanyahu’s broader right-wing alliance retained 52 seats total, falling nine short of the 61-seat threshold needed to secure a governing majority in the Israeli parliament.

The political landscape shifted with the entry of a new alliance between politician Yoaz Hendel and economist Yaron Zelekha, which crossed the electoral threshold to secure four seats according to the poll. The centrist bloc remains unaligned with either Netanyahu’s coalition or the opposition forces led by former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, complicating coalition calculations for both sides.

New alliance fails to clear path

Even if Hendel and Zelekha’s faction joined Netanyahu’s camp, the combined bloc would reach only 56 seats — five short of the parliamentary majority required to govern, the findings showed. The opposition alliance led by Eisenkot secured 51 seats in the survey, marking a decline from the 55 seats recorded in last week’s poll despite Likud’s simultaneous slide.

Electoral context

The Kantar Institute conducted the poll among 551 Israelis aged 18 and above, including Arab citizens, with a margin of error of 4.2 percentage points. Israel’s general election is scheduled for Oct. 27, with competition intensifying over the composition of political blocs and the premiership as both major camps struggle to secure viable paths to the 61-seat threshold.