Deadlock deepens as post-deadline polls leave both blocs short of 61 Knesset seats – analysis

Recent polls following the deadline for submitting Knesset lists indicate a deepening political deadlock in Israel, with neither the "change bloc" nor the current coalition able to secure the 61 seats needed for a majority. A KAN News survey showed both blocs tied at 52 seats, while Channel 12 put the change bloc at 54 and the current coalition at 50, with Arab parties and an unaligned party holding the remaining seats. This situation is forcing parties to reconsider their strategies.

• Likud faces a dilemma regarding Ofer Winter's People of Israel party, which is polling above the electoral threshold. The party must decide whether to try to win back Winter's voters, potentially costing the bloc seats, or ease pressure to ensure he crosses the threshold.
• The change bloc, particularly Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar list, is considering forming a minority government with external support from Arab parties if a majority is not achieved. Yoram Cohen, Yashar's No. 2, stated, "We will replace him [Netanyahu], and along the way, people from within the existing coalition will join us," suggesting an attempt to attract other Zionist parties, including a post-Netanyahu Likud and Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionist Party.
• Several parties are also filing petitions with the Central Elections Committee to disqualify rivals, such as The Democrats seeking to bar Otzma Yehudit, and Likud aiming to disqualify Arab parties. These efforts are largely seen as campaign tactics to discredit potential coalition partners rather than serious legal attempts to remove parties from the ballot.