Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen could dramatically change Israel’s political map if they decide to run in the next election.
According to a poll by Channel 13, a party led by Naftali Bennett would receive 18 seats, while Yossi Cohen’s party would win 11 seats. This means that Benny Gantz’s National Unity party would only get 21 seats, compared to 34 if Cohen and Bennett aren’t running.
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Likud party would also suffer if Bennett and Cohen run, receiving just 15 seats while Yesh Atid would drop to a staggering 10 seats.
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This means that neither the anti-Netanyahu nor the Netanyahu bloc would be able to form a government without Cohen and Bennett.
Cohen has hinted in an interview with Channel 12 that he could enter politics but hasn’t announced anything official. Bennett is also widely believed to be preparing for a comeback, after his short-lived term as prime minister from 2021-2022.
A different poll by KAN Public broadcaster on the current parties revealed that Gantz’s would receive 30 seats, while Netanyahu’s Likud party dropped to 14.
Religious Zionism and Labour would fail to cross the electoral threshold, according to KAN’s poll.