Poll finds Ben-Gvir and Smotrich parties drawing stronger support among Israel’s first-time voters ahead of Knesset election
A new poll of 543 Israelis aged 18 to 22 found stronger support for Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Jewish Power and Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism among first-time voters than in the broader electorate. Jewish Power received 8.88% and Religious Zionism 8.09%, while Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud stood at 7.95%.
The poll also put Naftali Bennett’s alliance at 8.98% and Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar at 8.75%, showing that young voters are not moving uniformly toward the right. A separate September survey of first-time voters produced notably different results, with Yashar at 16%, Likud at 14%, Religious Zionism at 6% and Jewish Power at 5%.
Hundreds of thousands of Israelis aged 18 to 22 are eligible to vote for the first time in the October 27 election, making the group a potentially significant constituency in a closely contested race.
