A new Kan election poll published Sunday shows Ofer Winter’s People of Israel party and Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party crossing the electoral threshold, gaining support at the expense of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit.
The poll, Kan’s first since the reestablishment of the Joint List, showed the Joint List overtaking Otzma Yehudit in projected Knesset seats.
According to the survey, Likud fell by one seat compared to Kan’s previous poll, dropping to 21 seats, and has lost three seats since the beginning of the month. Otzma Yehudit also declined, falling to seven seats.
Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party and Naftali Bennett’s Together party remained stable, with 24 and 21 seats respectively.
Within the opposition bloc, Yair Golan’s Democrats party and Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beytenu each lost one seat, falling to nine and eight seats respectively.
The bloc breakdown showed the opposition bloc declining from 57 seats to 55, while the coalition bloc rose slightly from 51 seats to 52. The Arab parties increased their projected representation to 13 seats.
Netanyahu continues to hold a slight lead over Bennett on suitability to serve as prime minister, with 37% choosing Netanyahu compared to 36% for Bennett. However, Eisenkot leads Netanyahu on the same question, 40% to 37%.
Kan News polls right-wing mergers
The Kan News poll also examined possible right-wing mergers. A merger between Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, which is supported by 57% of coalition voters, would actually weaken their combined support to 10 seats, compared to 12 seats if they ran separately. In that scenario, Winter’s party would rise to five seats.
If Smotrich were to unite with Moshe Feiglin’s party, Religious Zionism would rise to seven seats, tying Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit, at Winter’s expense. In that scenario, Winter’s party would fall below the electoral threshold. In all scenarios, Benny Gantz, Gilad Erdan, and Matan Kahana’s parties fail to pass the threshold.
The poll also examined public opinion regarding security arrangements for political figures. Forty-one percent of respondents said the Shin Bet should provide security for Eisenkot, while 29% opposed. Regarding Yair Golan, the results were reversed, with 43% opposing Shin Bet protection and 30% supporting it.
Netanyahu addressed right-wing bloc challenges on Channel 14’s 'The Patriots'
During an interview with Channel 14’s The Patriots program Sunday evening, Netanyahu addressed the political challenges facing the right-wing bloc and the battle for right-wing votes, including divisions between Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism and the challenge posed by Winter’s People of Israel party.
The prime minister criticized Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben-Gvir’s opposition to a merger with Religious Zionism chairman Bezalel Smotrich, saying: “He is coming out with great anger, I do not understand why. When Smotrich was high and he was low, Ben-Gvir called on him to put his ego aside and unite, and Smotrich did the responsible thing. Today Ben-Gvir needs to do the responsible thing.”
Netanyahu urged the two parties to merge, saying: “There is about a week to allow for a merger. It is very possible that everyone can unite.”
Netanyahu also addressed Winter’s party and expressed concern that its independent run in the election could harm the right-wing bloc.
“I am worried that this [People of Israel] party could do one of two things: either waste votes or cause one of the parties I mentioned to fall,” Netanyahu said.
Winter responds to Netanyahu
In response to Netanyahu’s remarks, Winter rejected claims that his party threatens the right-wing bloc, arguing that other issues pose a greater danger.
“What endangers the right-wing camp and the entire people of Israel are kites from Gaza,” Winter said, also pointing to the entry of aid trucks into Gaza, Hamas’s Nukhba forces, and the failure to enlist haredim into the IDF as threats facing Israel.
Winter said real change would require new leadership rather than the same political figures.
“There is only one real possibility for change in the right-wing camp and in general: new people, who were not part of the failures of October 7,” he said, adding that his party is “part of the right-wing camp, but we do not work for anyone, only for the people of Israel.”