The Blue and White party under the leadership of Defense Minister Benny Gantz could be in danger of failing to cross the 3.25% electoral threshold, a new poll shows, leaving the party out of the 24th Knesset.
According to a poll conducted by Panels Politics and published by Ma’ariv Friday morning, if new elections were held today, the Blue and White party would fall to just four seats, barely clearing the 3.25% electoral threshold (or the equivalent of 3.9 seats-worth of votes).
The Likud would remain the largest faction in the Knesset, the poll found, though the party would plummet to just 26 seats, down 10 from the 36 it won in March.
Former Likud MK Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope party, which has drawn four other Likud lawmakers since its formation, is projected to win 21 seats, making it the second largest faction in the Knesset.
Yesh Atid-Telem came in third with 15 seats, with the rightist Yamina in a close fourth at 14 seats.
The Joint Arab List is projected to win just 11 seats, down from its present 15 mandates.
The far-left Meretz party would rise to seven seats if new elections were held today, tying Yisrael Beytenu.
Among the haredi factions, Shas would win eight seats, while United Torah Judaism would receive seven.
Labor, Gesher, Jewish Home, and Otzma Yehudit all fail to clear the 3.25% electoral threshold, with Labor receiving 1.4%, Otzma 1.0%, Jewish Home 0.3%, and Gesher 0.0%.
Broken down by bloc, the poll shows the right-wing – religious bloc leading with 55 seats, compared to 37 seats for the Left-Arab bloc and 28 seats for New Hope and Yisrael Beytenu.
Earlier this week, Yamina chief Naftali Bennett declared his candidacy for the premiership, challenging Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
If Bennett were to join the other factions challenging Netanyahu, including the New Hope, Yisrael Beytenu, Blue and White, and Yesh Atid, the alliance would receive an absolute majority of 61 seats in the Knesset.
Yet Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu remains the top pick for the premiership, with 33% of respondents preferring Netanyahu as prime minister, compared to 17% who prefer Sa’ar, 10% who favor Bennett, 9% who chose Yair Lapid, and just 4% who favor Benny Gantz.
