Young Israeli Voters Lean Right Ahead of October 27 Election

Around three-quarters of Jewish first-time voters in Israel identify as right or centre-right, according to a recent poll for Channel 12, an Israeli television broadcaster. The findings come ahead of the country's legislative election, its parliamentary vote, scheduled for October 27. Al Jazeera reported that this is the first Israeli election since the October 7, 2023 attack, and the first since the 2022 elections.

The voter pool has grown considerably. Israel's Central Elections Committee, the body that administers elections, says more than half a million voters aged 18 to 22 have been added to the voter roll since 2022. Channel 12 reported that roughly 550,000 Israelis in that age group will vote for the first time in October, according to AFP.

Polls indicate that 80 percent of first-time voters plan to take part in the October 27 vote. A survey by the Israel Democracy Institute found that a majority of young Jewish Israelis feel the ballot box can influence reality and shape the country's future.

The BBC reported that more than 16 percent of Israel's first-time voters plan to support far-right parties. An opinion poll by Agam Labs found that supporters of the Jewish Power party are younger than the average Israeli voter, Reuters reported.

Israel's Arab minority makes up 21 percent of the electorate's population base and consists of people who are Palestinian by heritage but Israeli by citizenship, according to Reuters. Reuters has also reported that polls ahead of the vote show no majority for Benjamin Netanyahu or his rivals.

A poll of first-time voters surveyed 543 respondents, according to Yahoo News.