The pollster who was closest of all and claimed two weeks ago: "There will be a surprise"

Globes republishes an interview with Tzuriel Sharon, owner of Direct Polls, after his forecast for the 2026 elections was the closest to the actual results. Sharon claims his competitors rely on identical external panels and therefore miss the real picture, and he predicts that the Netanyahu bloc will not drop below 55 seats.

Globes republishes an interview with Tzuriel Sharon, the owner of the Direct Polls polling institute, after his forecast for the 2026 elections was the closest to the actual results published so far. In the interview, conducted about two weeks before the results were published, Sharon claims that his competitors' polls are biased due to their reliance on identical external panels, while he uses an independent panel. He explains that the gaps stem from different collection and analysis methods, and that he knows how to weigh undecided voters and the emotional nature of voting in Israel. Sharon predicts that the Netanyahu bloc will not drop below 55 seats and warns of a "surprise" in the elections. He also addresses the challenge of reaching young people, whom he calls a "black hole" in polls.