'Change bloc,' Netanyahu bloc each poll at 52 seats one month before Israel election - poll

Kan also found that between Eisenkot or Netanyahu as the next prime minister 39% would prefer Netanyahu, compared to 38% who would prefer Eisenkot.

The Netanyahu and 'change' blocs are tied at 52 seats each according to the latest Israeli election poll from Kan News, published on Sunday evening. Yashar, led by Gadi Eisenkot, remains the largest party.

According to the poll, Yashar has lost one seat compared to the previous poll, coming in at 23 seats. At the same time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party has gained one seat, rising to 21 seats.

Beyachad, led by Naftali Bennett, is polling at 11 seats, making it the third-largest party according to the Kan poll; however, it is continuing to lose seats in each poll.Yair Golan's Democrats, and Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beytenu both gained one mandate, to a total of nine each.

Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit lost a seat, reducing the party to seven seats, while People of Israel, led by Ofer Winter, crossed the election threshold of 3.25% of the votes, and won four seats. In union with the parties in the current coalition, Winter's four seats bring the Netanyahu bloc to 52 seats. 

The joint Religious Zionist Party and Zehut, led by Bezalel Smotrich and Moshe Feiglin, received six seats in the latest Kan poll, while the Reservists, led by Yoav Hendel and Yaron Zelekha, polled at four seats.

Disqualification of Israel's Arab parties?

The Joint List of Hadash, Balad, and Ta'al polled at 7 seats, and the other Arab party, Mansour Abbas's Ra'am, received 5 seats in the Kan poll, bringing the Arab parties to 12 seats.

Overall, 55% of those polled support disqualifying the Joint List from the elections, and 54% support disqualifying Ra'am. Among change bloc voters, a relative majority opposed disqualifying the Arab parties: 41% opposed disqualifying the Joint List, and 48% opposed disqualifying Ra'am.

Benny Gantz's Blue and White, Motti Leitner's Haredi Public, and Avi Maoz's Noam Party all failed to pass the 3.25% election threshold, and therefore didn't win any seats.

Based on this poll, the deciding factor in forming a majority coalition could come down to Hendel and Zelekha.

Voters prefer Netanyahu for prime minister despite Yashar receiving more votes

Kan also found that between Eisenkot and Netanyahu as the next prime minister, 39% would prefer Netanyahu, compared to 38% who would prefer Eisenkot. In contrast, when put up against Bennett, 42% would prefer Netanyahu while 33% would rather Bennett.

In northern Israel, Netanyahu is getting stronger, but his potential coalition is weakening. Voters in the North would give Likud 24 seats, while Yashar would only receive 20.

Nevertheless, Netanyahu's overall coalition loses seats, to 49, compared to 52 in the national survey.