Israeli poll predicts opposition leads Netanyahu bloc

A recent poll conducted by Kanal 12 ahead of Israel's early general elections on October 27 indicates that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling bloc is projected to trail the opposition.

According to the survey, the Netanyahu bloc is expected to secure 52 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, while the opposition is projected to win 57 seats. Neither major bloc appears capable of forming a government independently, as neither reaches the required 61-seat majority.

Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar Party is projected to lead the polls with 25 seats, followed by Netanyahu's Likud Party with 21 seats. Other projected results include Naftali Bennett's Together Party with 13 seats, Yair Golan's Democrats Party with 10 seats, and Avigdor Liberman's Israel Beitenu with 9 seats.

While parties outside the Netanyahu bloc collectively reach 68 seats, forming a coalition remains difficult because most Jewish party leaders exclude cooperation with Arab lawmakers. Arab parties are expected to hold a total of 11 seats.