Overview
- This week former IDF brigadier general Ofer Winter launched Amcha/Am Yisrael, a hard‑right list that several polls say could siphon votes from Religious Zionism and weaken the Netanyahu bloc.
- Published surveys after the launch delivered sharply different snapshots: some gave Winter roughly six to eight Knesset seats while others showed him below the electoral threshold, highlighting high volatility in seat projections.
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly urged a joint run between far‑right leaders to avoid wasted votes, but Itamar Ben‑Gvir has rejected a pact with Bezalel Smotrich and refuses to merge lists.
- Smotrich is reported to be exploring a technical alliance with Moshe Feiglin to protect Religious Zionism from falling below the 3.25% cutoff, and Likud aides are privately weighing post‑election power‑sharing options if no bloc reaches 61 seats.
- Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar remains the leading party in most polls and the clash over small lists matters because Israel’s proportional system means tens of thousands of votes around the threshold can flip a 61‑seat majority and reshape policy and daily life for voters.