Poll Says Bennett Would Benefit if He Splits from Lapid

A new internal poll, reported by journalist Amit Segal in his weekly column on Israel Hayom, suggests the political partnership between former prime minister Naftali Bennett and opposition leader Yair Lapid is under severe strain. The survey was commissioned last week to examine the worsening trend in recent weeks and to identify where the alliance between Bennett and Lapid is losing support.

The poll tested a direct scenario in which the two decide to break up their joint run and compete in separate parties in the next election. According to the findings, Bennett would retain significant strength on his own and win 15 Knesset seats. Lapid, by contrast, and his party would fall below the electoral threshold.

The analysis indicates that most of the support bleeding away from their joint list, called Yachad, is coming from the left side of the political spectrum. That has led to growing claims in recent days that Lapid has become an electoral burden on the partnership.

The data are now fueling reports that Bennett is seriously considering ending the alliance in order to preserve his political power ahead of the effort to form the next government.