New party emerges as a frontrunner as Israel goes to polls amid Netanyahu’s waning appeal

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Gadi Eisenkot, former Israeli military chief of staff and leader of the centrist Yashar ("Straight") party, lifts a thumb during his party's candidate-list election campaign event in Rosh HaAyin, Israel. File | Photo Credit: AP

As Israel gears up for its parliamentary elections on October 27, a one-year-old party has emerged as a significant contender. The Yashar (Hebrew for ‘straight’) party has garnered widespread support as per the opinion polls reported by Israeli media outlets, some of which place the party ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.

In most projections, Yashar led with at least 20 of 120 seats in Knesset, Israel’s parliament, while Likud trailed behind. Channel 12 News and Channel 13 News put Yashar at 23 and 22 seats, while Likud followed with 20 and 19 seats respectively. According to the poll published by Maariv, Yashar was projected to win 25 seats while Likud trailed with 19. While the polls did not point to a clear winner, Yashar consistently emerged as a leading party.

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