Yashar overtakes Likud, Netanyahu as Zionist opposition bloc nears 61-seat majority - poll

Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party has surged ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud in a recent Maariv poll, marking a significant shift in the Israeli political landscape. Yashar now leads with 22 seats, an increase of two from the previous poll and ten seats higher than its standing after the merger of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid's parties. Likud remains at 21 seats.

The opposition bloc, which includes Yashar, is inching closer to the 61-seat majority required to form a government. The poll indicates that if Yashar and Bennett's Together party were to unite under Bennett's leadership, the merged entity would secure 35 seats. In this scenario, the new party formed by Chili Tropper and Yoaz Hendel, which currently stands at 2.9% of the vote and has not crossed the electoral threshold, would gain five seats. This consolidation could potentially shift the balance, with the combined opposition bloc reaching a 61-seat majority if the Tropper-Hendel party aligns with them.

However, the emergence of the Tropper-Hendel party has had a notable impact on other political factions. Support for this new party has drawn voters away from the Religious Zionist Party, reducing its projected seats from five to four. This shift also affects the Netanyahu bloc, diminishing its total seats to 49. The Arab parties maintained their strength at 11 seats.

In a hypothetical scenario where Eisenkot leads a joint Yashar-Together list, the merged party would command 39 seats. The Tropper-Hendel party would also cross the electoral threshold in this case, securing four seats, while the Religious Zionist Party would fall below the threshold. The poll highlights the dynamic and fluid nature of Israeli politics as parties vie for voter support ahead of potential elections.