The move comes just two weeks after a meeting of the leaders of the opposition's change bloc, where they agreed to postpone discussions over who would be their prime minister candidate.
Former Sephardi chief rabbi Yitzhak Yosef denounced Ben-Gvir as arrogant over his Temple Mount visits, as Shas escalates its election campaign amid concerns over losing young Sephardi voters.
The Reservists-Economic Party recorded four seats in four consecutive Maariv surveys, although other pollsters continued to place it below the electoral threshold.
The study was conducted by Dr. Nimrod Nir of the Agam Institute and Dr. Gayil Talshir of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem on October 5–6, 2026. The sample included 2,437 respondents.
The opposition bloc lost one seat after the Democrats dropped by one mandate, while the other parties in the bloc remained unchanged.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir was not invited to the conference, named "Saving the Right," which included dozens of Religious Zionist rabbis, along with heads of yeshivas.
"Winter, reverse your statement that you are only with Netanyahu and the haredi parties. You cannot win on the battlefield with haredi parties," Reservists-Economic party leader Yoaz Hendel said.
October 7 looms over Israel’s election, but analysts say it has reinforced existing political loyalties rather than shifted voters between blocs.
The Likud withdrew its petition against groups helping Israelis abroad reach the country for Election Day after it emerged that the initiative was not subsidizing airfare.
Though Shas's Arye Deri served briefly in the IDF, the party has come under fire over its stance on haredi conscription to the IDF amid the military’s severe manpower shortage.
The survey showed a contrast between Israel's Arab and Jewish populations, with 68% of Jewish Israelis saying the attacks were central to their party choice, while 32% of Arab Israelis said the same.
