Poll: Eisenkot's Party Leads with 23 Seats, Coalition Bloc at 49

A poll released by Channel 12 on Monday evening, three weeks before the 26th Knesset elections, indicates that Gadi Eisenkot's "Yashar" party is leading with 23 seats, the same result as the previous survey. Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party is projected to win 21 seats, while Naftali Bennett's "Achinu" party maintains its strength with 13 seats. Yair Golan's "Democrats" and Avigdor Lieberman's "Yisrael Beiteinu" are each expected to secure 9 seats. The Joint List, led by Yousef Jabareen, and Yahadut HaTorah, led by Yaakov Asher, are both projected to receive 8 seats. Among other parties, Shas, headed by Aryeh Deri, and Otzma Yehudit, led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, are each expected to win 7 seats. Bezalel Smotrich's "Religious Zionism" and "Hoya" parties are projected to get 6 seats each. The United Arab List, led by Mansour Abbas, is expected to win 5 seats, while Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelicha's party is projected to get 4 seats. Several parties remain below the electoral threshold, including Ofer Winter's "Amcha Israel" with 1.5% and Moti Leitner's "Charedi Public" with 0.6%, and Benny Gantz's "Blue and White" with 0.5%.

The poll's bloc map shows the opposition bloc against Netanyahu securing 67 seats, comprising 54 seats from Zionist parties and 13 from Arab parties. The coalition bloc is projected to win 49 seats, with Hendel and Zelicha's party, classified in a "third bloc," taking 4 seats.

In a comparison for prime ministerial suitability, Eisenkot leads Netanyahu 41% to 38%. Netanyahu, however, leads Naftali Bennett 41% to 37%, and significantly outperforms Avigdor Lieberman, 43% to 26%.

Regarding responsibility for the failures leading up to October 7, 47% of the public believes the government and the army share equal responsibility. Another 25% hold the government primarily responsible, while 17% blame the army. A significant 65% believe Prime Minister Netanyahu bears "great responsibility" for the failure, compared to 22% who see his responsibility as limited, and 6% who believe he has no responsibility. Furthermore, 66% of the public supports forming an official investigation committee into the October 7 events, with 21% opposing it and 13% undecided.

The survey was conducted on October 5, 2026, by the "Midgam" Institute for Polls and Research, led by Manu Geva. It included 501 respondents representing the Israeli population over 18, with a maximum margin of error of 4.4%.