Israel's political opposition has edged ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing bloc in a nationwide poll published, leaving both rival camps short of a parliamentary majority just 23 days before general elections scheduled for October 27.
The survey, broadcast by Israeli public network KAN, projected opposition factions winning 52 seats compared to 51 for Netanyahu's coalition in the 120-member Knesset, confirming neither side can secure the 61 seats required to govern independently.
Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party led with 23 seats, followed by Netanyahu's Likud on 21.
Naftali Bennett's Beyahad secured 12, while Yair Golan's Democrats and Itamar Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power took eight apiece.
Bezalel Smotrich's joint Religious Zionism-Zehut slate took six seats, while Ofer Winter's Amcha Yisrael failed to cross the threshold.
Among Arab parties, the Joint List rose to eight seats following Balad leader Sami Abu Shehadeh's withdrawal, while Ra'am retained five.
KAN noted the opposition's "change bloc" cannot form a government without Ra'am.
Election watchdog censure
The survey coincided with an official rebuke from Israel's Central Elections Committee.
Committee chairman Justice Noam Sohlberg ordered Netanyahu to take down social media campaign videos that exploited military personnel and public resources without authorisation.
Upholding five of six legal petitions, Sohlberg ruled that footage of Netanyahu visiting an outpost in southern Lebanon served as an unlawful campaign advertisement rather than official state business, after editors stripped out footage honouring troops to focus on government achievements.
The ruling follows a comparable sanction against National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir for filming unauthorised campaign material inside a prison with a Palestinian detainee.
The Knesset dissolved on July 17, ahead of the autumn vote.
Netanyahu, who has led Israel’s most right-wing coalition since December 2022, continues to face domestic corruption proceedings alongside an outstanding International Criminal Court arrest warrant regarding war crimes in Gaza.
