Mapping Israel's Political Divides: How Cities Voted in 2022
An analysis of Israel's 2022 election results by city illustrates deep regional divides between Netanyahu's bloc and the change bloc ahead of the 2026 vote.
The political map of Israel, based on official results from the 25th Knesset elections held on November 1, 2022, reveals deep regional divides between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc and the opposing change bloc. With the nation looking ahead to the upcoming parliamentary elections, an analysis of voting patterns across major cities shows where the political battle lines were drawn before the events of October 7.
2022 Election Baseline and Methodology
According to the Central Election Committee, national turnout in 2022 stood at 70.63%, with approximately 4.79 million Israelis casting ballots. The Likud party emerged as the largest faction nationally with 32 mandates and 23.41% of the valid vote, while Yesh Atid secured 24 mandates and 17.79%.
For comparative purposes, political analysts group four factions into Netanyahu's bloc: Likud, Shas, United Torah Judaism, and the joint list of Religious Zionism and Otzma Yehudit. The change bloc comprises five factions: Yesh Atid, National Unity, Yisrael Beytenu, the Labor Party, and Meretz. Ra'am, Hadash-Ta'al, and Balad remained outside both traditional blocs. This division serves as a journalistic framework rather than an official classification.
Voting Trends in Major Cities
In Jerusalem, voter turnout reached 61.60%. United Torah Judaism won the largest share of the vote at 23.80%, followed by Likud at 19.11%, Shas at 18.31%, and Religious Zionism-Otzma Yehudit at 14.22%. Netanyahu's bloc captured 75.4% of the valid ballots in the capital, compared to just 19.8% for the five change-bloc parties.
The picture was nearly inverted in Tel Aviv-Yafo, where Yesh Atid led with 32.82% of the vote, trailed by Likud at 17.01%. National Unity garnered 11.02%, Meretz 10.93%, and Labor 9.26%. Combined, the change-bloc parties secured 67.3% of the valid votes in Tel Aviv, while Netanyahu's bloc attained 26.7%. Voter turnout in the city lagged behind the national average at 59.62%.
In Haifa, Yesh Atid also took the lead with 26.31%, followed by Likud with 20.94% and National Unity with 10.14%. The change bloc collected 53.9% of the municipal vote, compared to 34.2% for the Netanyahu bloc, while turnout dipped to 55.53%.
Strongholds of the Change Bloc
Several central and Sharon region cities demonstrated robust support for the change bloc. In Hod HaSharon, the five allied parties claimed 70.9% of the vote against 26.5% for Netanyahu's bloc, with Yesh Atid pulling 40.45%. Turnout reached 74.36%.
Herzliya mirrored this trend, giving the change bloc 66.2% and Netanyahu's bloc 31.1%. Kfar Saba showed a similar division, with the change parties securing 64.3% compared to 32.6%. Ramat Gan, Ra'anana, Modi'in-Maccabim-Re'ut, and Ness Ziona also recorded clear majorities for the change bloc, highlighting a distinct geographic divide in central Israel.
Likud Strongholds in the Periphery
Southern and coastal cities presented a starkly different political landscape. In Beersheba, Likud captured 40.30% of the vote, followed by Religious Zionism-Otzma Yehudit at 15.67% and Yesh Atid at 12.05%. Netanyahu's bloc totaled 66.4% in the capital of the Negev, contrasted with 30.3% for the change bloc.
Ashkelon and Ashdod showed comparable dynamics, with Netanyahu's bloc securing 65.8% and 67.1% of the vote respectively. Central cities such as Netanya, Petah Tikva, Holon, and Bat Yam similarly reinforced their status as reliable bases for the right-wing and religious parties.
Turnout Disparities Across Municipalities
The 2022 elections highlighted dramatic gaps in civic participation. Modi'in Illit recorded the highest turnout at 82.03%, closely followed by Bnei Brak at 76.53% and Rosh HaAyin at 77.58%. Conversely, cities like Bat Yam saw turnout drop to 50.76%, while Arab municipalities registered significantly lower participation rates, including 38.29% in Umm al-Fahm and 48.29% in Nazareth.
