New Poll Shows Netanyahu and Gantz Blocs Tied, Majority Back Banning Arab Parties

A new public opinion poll in Israel, released Sunday, indicates a dead heat between the bloc of parties opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Netanyahu's own bloc, should elections be held today. The survey, published by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation (Kan 11), also revealed that over half of Israelis support disqualifying Arab political parties from participating in the upcoming elections.

The poll projects the "Yash" party, led by former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, securing 23 seats, two more than the Likud party. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and his "Yachad" alliance, which includes current opposition leader Yair Lapid, are predicted to win 11 seats.

Collectively, the bloc of parties opposing Netanyahu is projected to gain 52 seats, matching Netanyahu's bloc, with an additional four seats for the Hendel-Zahavi alliance, whose allegiance remains undecided. The two main Arab party lists are expected to win a combined 12 seats.

Regarding the potential disqualification of Arab parties, 55% of respondents favored barring the Joint List, while 27% opposed it. For the United Arab List, 54% supported disqualification, with 30% against.

The poll also explored voter turnout certainty, with 77% of opposition voters and 72% of Netanyahu's supporters expressing confidence in voting. Only 45% of Arab participants indicated certainty, and the poll noted it may not accurately reflect Arab representation.

In head-to-head matchups for prime minister, Netanyahu narrowly leads Eisenkot, with 39% to Eisenkot's 38%. However, among opposition voters surveyed, Eisenkot significantly outpolled Bennett, with 54% to Bennett's 32%. The poll was conducted by Kantar on September 27, 2026, with 552 participants out of 2,118 invited, and has a margin of error of ±4.2%.