New Polls Show Gadi Eisenkot Leading, But No Clear Government Majority

Two new Israeli opinion polls indicate that Gadi Eisenkot's "Yashar" party would lead in the number of Knesset seats if elections were held today, but neither poll shows a clear majority for forming a government. In a Channel 12 poll, Yashar secured 23 mandates, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party garnered 20. Naftali Bennett's "Bait Yehed" received 13 mandates, and Yair Golan's "HaDemocratim" obtained 10. Other parties like the Joint List, Yahadut HaTorah, and Yisrael Beiteinu each received 8 mandates. Shas followed with 7, Otzma Yehudit with 6, Religious Zionism with 5, and Ra'am, Am Israel, and HaMiluimnikim each with 4. The opposition bloc in this poll totaled 54 mandates, compared to 50 for the current coalition parties.

A separate poll by Kan News showed Eisenkot's party leading with 24 mandates. Likud followed with 20, Bennett's party with 12, and HaDemocratim, Otzma Yehudit, and Yisrael Beiteinu each with 8 mandates. Shas, the Joint List, and Yahadut HaTorah received 7 mandates, Religious Zionism 6, Ra'am 5, and Am Israel and Handel-Zelicha each with 4. This poll presented a near-even split in bloc support, with Eisenkot's bloc at 52 mandates against Netanyahu's bloc also at 52.