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Polls published this week indicate that more than 16 percent of first-time voters intend to back far-right parties such as Jewish Power led by Itamar Ben-Gvir or Religious Zionism headed by Bezalel Smotrich. A separate survey for Channel 12 television found that nearly three-quarters of these young voters see themselves as right or centre-right, a higher proportion than among older Israelis. The Jewish People Policy Institute’s October 2026 Israeli Society Index placed overall right-wing identification among Jewish Israelis at 65 percent, with the share of those describing themselves as strongly right-wing having nearly doubled since before the war.
Young supporters interviewed by reporters cited a desire for strength and protection as key motivations for backing Ben-Gvir. One 18-year-old named Nadav told journalists that Ben-Gvir would ensure safety especially for those entering the army. Meir Schreiber, a 23-year-old ultra-Orthodox voter, said the events of October 7 convinced him that peace was not achievable and that Ben-Gvir represented the right approach.
Political analyst Dahlia Scheindlin, who has run Israeli political campaigns, stated that young Israeli Jews have been more right-wing than average for about 20 years and significantly more so than those aged 55 and older. She noted that this generation has grown up amid repeated wars without personal memory of peace efforts. Scheindlin added that they have been socialised to view ideas such as annexation and settlement expansion as legitimate topics of debate.
A report from the Progress Center for Policies highlighted that new voters aged 18 to 22 make up about 8.7 percent of the electorate, or roughly 595,000 people, and that Ben-Gvir’s party garners 16 percent support among them, potentially exceeding 20 percent among Jewish new voters. Jerusalem, a right-leaning city, accounts for the largest concentration of this age group with around 60,000 eligible young voters compared with 20,000 in Tel Aviv. The analysis found that many of these supporters come from military academies, yeshivas and religious Zionist backgrounds.
Data from The Jerusalem Post showed that 75 percent of first-time voters identify as right-wing, compared with 68 percent of veteran voters, while 80 percent of the younger group expressed belief in God or a higher power against 75 percent for older Israelis. Additional research indicated that this cohort is more likely to engage in religious practices such as kissing mezuzot. Reuters reporting noted that Ben-Gvir’s support has expanded beyond traditional settler bases into urban areas and among first-time voters, with as many as a third of his backers casting ballots for the first time.
The influx of these voters could prove decisive in the election scheduled for late October, as more than half a million first-timers are eligible to participate in a race many view as critical for the country’s security and identity. Polls suggest far-right lists may secure between one and two additional seats from this youth surge alone depending on turnout. Analysts tracking the trends observed that the shift aligns with broader post-October 7 sentiment favoring continued military operations and a harder line on territorial issues.
