Poll: 83% Blame Netanyahu for October 7 Failures, Opposition Bloc Leads

A new "Uvda" poll reveals that 83% of Israelis attribute some level of responsibility, either significant or minor, to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the failures leading up to the October 7th Hamas attacks. The survey indicates that 58% believe Netanyahu bears significant responsibility, while an additional 25% assign him minor responsibility. The poll also found that a majority of the public continues to prefer a prime ministerial candidate other than Netanyahu, with 57% favoring an alternative compared to 33% who support him.

The "Uvda" poll shows that the bloc of parties opposing Netanyahu maintains a lead, with 40% of respondents indicating they would vote for a party in that bloc if elections were held today, versus 34% for the coalition bloc. A notable 12% of respondents remain undecided, with approximately 4.6% of the total public not having a clear direction between the blocs. While the gap in preference for a prime minister other than Netanyahu has slightly narrowed from the previous week, the trend shows a consistent advantage for an alternative candidate since late June.

When voters were asked about issues influencing their decisions, security and the cost of living were identified as top priorities by both coalition and opposition supporters. However, significant divides emerged on the issues of Haredi conscription, the preservation of democracy, and responsibility for the October 7th failures. For instance, 90% of opposition supporters stated that Haredi conscription would influence their vote, compared to only 49% of coalition supporters. Similarly, 89% of opposition voters cited responsibility for October 7th as a key factor, versus 60% of coalition supporters.

The poll, conducted by Midgam Research and Consulting, surveyed 502 respondents and has a maximum margin of error of 4.4%. The data was collected on September 3, 2026.