Benjamin Netanyahu sees right-wing surge and West Bank expansion

Recent political developments in Israel show a significant shift toward the right. According to a Channel 14 poll following Likud primaries, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc is projected to secure a solid majority in the Knesset with 63 seats. In contrast, Naftali Bennett’s party has seen a sharp decline to just six seats, nearing the electoral threshold. The Likud party remains the largest with 32 seats, while Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party holds 24 seats.

In the West Bank, Prime Minister Netanyahu inaugurated a new road named after his father in the Ariel settlement. This project is part of an expansion plan that includes the construction of up to 11,000 new homes and a planned university hospital. While Israeli authorities aim to increase the population of the area to 100,000, critics and activist groups note that the expansion involves the destruction of olive groves and the displacement of Palestinian farmers.