New Poll Shows Netanyahu Bloc Leading Opposition in Israeli Political Landscape

A new poll released by Channel 13 News indicates a shift in the Israeli political landscape, with the bloc supporting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now leading the opposition bloc led by Gadi Eisenkot. The Netanyahu bloc garnered 54 mandates compared to the opposition's 52. The poll shows Eisenkot's "Yash" party leading individually with 21 mandates, a slight decrease, while Netanyahu's Likud party strengthened to 19 mandates, contributing to the bloc's lead.

Arab parties collectively hold 14 mandates. Among other parties, "Beitech" led by Naftali Bennett and "HaDemocratim" led by Yair Golan each received 11 mandates. "Yisrael Beiteinu" led by Avigdor Lieberman and the Joint List each secured 9 mandates. The ultra-Orthodox parties "Yahadut HaTorah" and "Otzma Yehudit" both received 8 mandates, while "Shas" and "HaTzionut HaDatit-Identity" each obtained 7 mandates, bringing the total for religious parties to 15.

The poll also explored public opinion on key issues. A significant majority, 69%, support establishing a state commission of inquiry into the events of October 7th, with 95% of opposition voters backing this compared to 43% of coalition voters. Regarding term limits for the prime minister, 65% favor legislation to limit tenure, with 87% of opposition voters supporting it versus 36% of coalition voters.

On the issue of prior warnings about the October 7th attack, 45% of respondents believe Netanyahu received advance warnings, while 28% believe he did not. This view is held by 75% of opposition supporters but only 14% of coalition supporters.

Notably, the "Miluimnikim-HaKalkalit" party, previously polling at 4 mandates, dropped to 2.8%, falling below the electoral threshold. Benny Gantz's "Blue and White" party reached a low of 0.9%. In a head-to-head comparison for prime minister, Eisenkot leads Netanyahu 44% to 38%, though the gap has narrowed.