Israeli first-time voters lean to the far right ahead of tight election

More than 16% of new young voters plan to back Ben Gvir's or Smotrich's parties, polls suggest

By LineZotpaper

Published20 October 2026

Read Time3 min

With Israel's general election next week expected to be decided by less than a full margin, more than half a million first-time voters could tip the balance, and polls suggest a significant share of them are drawn to the far right. Surveys cited on the campaign trail put far-right support among new voters at above 16%, with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir a frequent presence among jubilant young fans.

Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who was once rejected from Israel's army for being too politically extreme, now commands a following among the country's newest voters. Campaigning at the covered market in Ramle, a mixed Jewish and Arab city, he was surrounded by young supporters waving party flags. "We see the support, we see the love [and] we want to win," he said.

More than half a million first-time voters will cast ballots in an election many Israelis see as existential for security and identity. A poll for the newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth suggested more than 16% of first-time voters plan to support far-right parties, either Ben Gvir's Jewish Power or the Religious Zionism party of his ally Bezalel Smotrich. Another survey for Channel 12 found almost three-quarters of young Israelis describe themselves as "right or centre-right".

Young supporters gave their reasons. "Itamar Ben Gvir gives me a sense of security," said 20-year-old Mordechai. "Like everyone in history, from Trump to Moses, there are slips of the tongue that are a bit less good. So what? 90% of the things by Itamar are amazing." Nadav, 18, said: "I think he's trying to show that we're a strong country." Meir Schreiber, a 23-year-old who grew up in London, said the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attacks convinced him: "Young people understand that peace isn't something we can do."

Ben Gvir's positions annexation of the occupied West Bank, Jewish settlement of Gaza and the "voluntary emigration" of Palestinians are widely condemned by liberal Israelis, and several Western countries have imposed sanctions or travel bans on him and Smotrich for incitement against Palestinians. At the Ramle market, reaction was divided. Some shopkeepers threw sweets; one stallholder said: "I don't like him, he sows discord."

Political analyst Dahlia Scheindlin said the trend predates 7 October: "For about the last 20 years, we've seen young Israeli Jews are more right wing than average." She said they had been "socialised into the most extreme terms of the debate as legitimate to discuss". A series of classroom debates filmed by satirist Lior Schleien drew attention to extreme views among some youths, including one student advocating killing all Arab citizens of Israel; that video was later removed.

First-time voters appear highly motivated, with more than 80% saying they are likely to vote, but also sceptical of democratic institutions. Opposition parties are courting them with younger candidates and social media. Yonatan Shalev, 24, a candidate with the centre-right Beyachad party led by Naftali Bennett, said Ben Gvir had mastered TikTok and Instagram before liberal politicians did. Bennett's page now features videos of the former prime minister lifting weights to rap music. "Younger people don't watch the news in Israel," Shalev said. At a Tel Aviv student event, Ben Gvir was forced off stage by protesters shouting "Fascism will not pass".

Analysis

Why This Matters

Half a million first-time voters could decide the outcome of a tight and deadlocked election in which Israel's future security and identity are central questions.
A generational shift toward the far right, if confirmed at the ballot box, would reshape the governing coalition's options and its approach to the West Bank, Gaza and Palestinian citizens.
Both blocs are treating young voters as decisive, and the campaigning itself is moving onto TikTok and Instagram, changing how Israeli politics is conducted.

Background

Israel's electorate has been split for years between pro-government and anti-government blocs, with recent elections producing narrow and unstable governing coalitions. The Hamas-led attacks of 7 October 2023 and the subsequent Gaza war reshaped public debate, particularly among younger Israelis who came of age in that period. Far-right figures such as Ben Gvir and Smotrich have moved from the political margins into senior government roles, and several Western nations have sanctioned them over rhetoric against Palestinians. Political analysts note that young Israeli Jews had been trending rightward for roughly two decades before the war, influenced by repeated conflicts and by a political discussion in which annexation and settlement expansion have become mainstream.

Key Perspectives

Ben Gvir and his allies: Present themselves as guarantors of security, arguing that a strong Israel can no longer express its ideology freely and that young voters, shaped by 7 October, understand that peace is not attainable on current terms. Opposition parties (Beyachad, Yashar): Argue that far-right dominance threatens democratic institutions, and are countering with younger candidates, fresh social media content and turnout appeals, noting that participation in liberal Tel Aviv lagged at 59% in 2022 against around 90% in Ben Gvir strongholds. Critics and liberal Israelis: Condemn Ben Gvir as a source of division in mixed cities such as Ramle, accusing him of preying on young and uneducated voters, and point to classroom exchanges showing extreme, including racially violent, views among some youths.

What to Watch

The final pre-election polls and whether far-right support among first-time voters holds above 16% or drifts to opposition parties.
Reported turnout among young voters on election day, particularly in liberal urban areas versus far-right heartlands.
The strength of TikTok and Instagram campaigning by Bennett and others in closing the youth gap with Ben Gvir before the vote.

Sources

Why Israeli Gen Z voters are drawn to the far right · BBC News

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 8 supported.

Show each claim

Partly supportedIsraeli first-time voters broadly lean to the far right.BBC News: “More than 16% are planning to support far-right parties - either Ben Gvir's Jewish Power or the Religious Zionism party of his far-right ally Bezalel Smotrich”
SupportedMore than 16% of new young voters plan to back Ben Gvir's or Smotrich's parties.BBC News: “More than 16% are planning to support far-right parties - either Ben Gvir's Jewish Power or the Religious Zionism party of his far-right ally Bezalel Smotrich”
Partly supportedThe election is expected to be decided by “less than a full margin.”BBC News: “Polls suggest it will be a tight race”
Partly supportedSurveys cited on the campaign trail put far-right support above 16%.BBC News: “More than 16% are planning to support far-right parties - either Ben Gvir's Jewish Power or the Religious Zionism party of his far-right ally Bezalel Smotrich - according to a poll for one of Israel's most popular newspapers, Yedioth Ahronoth.”
SupportedMore than half a million first-time voters could help decide the result.BBC News: “More than half a million first-time voters will cast their ballots in this election, which many Israelis see as existential for Israel's future security and identity. Polls suggest it will be a tight race, and the new young voters could help decide the result.”
SupportedBen Gvir said, “We see the support, we see the love [and] we want to win.”BBC News: ““We see the support, we see the love [and] we want to win!” he said.”
SupportedMordechai said Ben Gvir gives him a sense of security and that 90% of what Ben Gvir does is amazing.BBC News: ““Itamar Ben Gvir gives me a sense of security,” said 20-year-old Mordechai, one of the young fans accompanying the politician to Ramle. “Like everyone in history, from Trump to Moses, there are slips of the tongue that are a bit less good. So what? 90% of the things by Itamar are amazing.””
SupportedNadav said Ben Gvir is trying to show that Israel is a strong country.BBC News: ““I think he's trying to show that we're a strong country. For many years, we couldn't show we're strong in our beliefs. We couldn't express our ideology.””
SupportedMeir Schreiber said the 7 October attacks convinced him that “peace isn't something we can do.”BBC News: “Meir Schreiber, an ultra-Orthodox 23-year-old who grew up in London, said the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel, which triggered the Gaza war, also convinced him that Ben Gvir was the right choice. “Young people understand that peace isn't something we can do,” he told me”
SupportedMore than 80% of first-time voters say they are likely to vote.BBC News: “Surveys suggest that first-time voters here are highly motivated to cast their ballots, with more than 80% saying they are likely to do so.”
Partly supportedShalev said Ben Gvir had mastered TikTok and Instagram before liberal politicians did.BBC News: “He told me that Ben Gvir had understood the power of social media faster than other politicians. “The liberal politicians didn't believe in TikTok, didn't believe in Instagram, and he took advantage of that arena.””
SupportedBen Gvir was forced off stage at a Tel Aviv student event by protesters shouting “Fascism will not pass.”BBC News: “At a student event in Tel Aviv last weekend, Ben Gvir was interrupted by protesters shouting, “Fascism will not pass”, and forced off the stage.”