Hendel-Zelekha crosses electoral threshold in new KAN poll, complicating coalition possibilities

A new KAN News poll published Sunday evening indicates that Yoaz Hendel of the Unity Party and Prof. Yaron Zelekha's joint party would cross the electoral threshold with four seats in the upcoming election. This development follows Hendel's split from Chili Tropper and his subsequent alliance with Zelekha. The poll suggests that with Hendel and Zelekha's party entering the Knesset, neither the Netanyahu bloc (56 seats) nor the Eisenkot bloc (55 seats) would secure the 61 seats needed to form a government, potentially necessitating additional coalition partners. The survey, conducted on September 6, 2026, also found that 62% of respondents rated Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's conduct on the morning of October 7 as "not good."