Polls Show Smotrich Gaining, While Bennett and Lapid Weaken

Two polls published on Saturday indicate a stronger right-wing bloc and a weaker alliance led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid. A survey by Kantar for Kan News gives the Religious Zionism party five seats, while a separate arrangement joining Benny Gantz, Dadi Shmhi and Yoaz Hendel would reach seven seats.

In the Kan News poll, Likud would win 24 seats if elections were held now, and Gideon Sa'ar's Yashar would take 22. Bennett and Lapid's joint list, Yachad, would get 16 seats. The rest of the projection gives Yisrael Beiteinu 10, the Democrats 9, Otzma Yehudit 9, Shas 9, United Torah Judaism 7, Hadash-Taal 6, Religious Zionism 5 and Ra'am 4. Blue and White, the Reservists and Balad would fail to pass the electoral threshold. On bloc totals, the current coalition would have 54 seats, while the anti-Netanyahu bloc would have 56.

In a scenario where Bennett's Yachad, Yesh Atid and Gideon Sa'ar's Yashar run together, with Sa'ar heading the list, the united slate would win 36 seats and Likud would get 26, leaving the Netanyahu bloc at 56. If Gantz, Shmhi and Hendel formed a new party, it would win seven seats.

The poll also tested a split between Bennett and Lapid: Bennett would receive 14 seats, while Yesh Atid would drop to just four, near the threshold. In the question of who should lead the opposition in the next election, Sa'ar led with 40 percent, Bennett had 16 percent, and 27 percent said neither should lead. A separate News 13 poll found similar patterns, with Religious Zionism on five seats, Likud on 23, Yashar on 20, Yachad on 15, and the Netanyahu bloc on 53 seats versus 57 for the opposition.