Poll Shows Netanyahu's Opposition Leading Ahead of Elections

A Channel 12 poll released Friday, 11 days before elections, indicates that 49% of respondents support the bloc opposing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, including Arab parties. Netanyahu's bloc, including the Yisrael Beiteinu party, garnered 37% support, with 8% undecided. The survey, conducted on October 15, 2026, found 58% prefer a prime minister other than Netanyahu, compared to 35% who prefer him. Regarding voter turnout, 77% intend to vote, while 14% might change their vote before or on election day, and 73% ruled this out. The poll also compared Netanyahu with Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett on issues of trust, leading Israel to a better future, reducing the cost of living, education, security, and addressing civilian failures. Eisenkot and Bennett individually received higher ratings than Netanyahu among all respondents and opposition voters, while Netanyahu scored higher among coalition voters. In a comparison between Netanyahu and former Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, 43% trust Bar more, versus 34% who trust Netanyahu. The poll was conducted by the Midgam Institute, led by Mano Geva, surveying 503 Israelis aged 18 and over via internet and phone. The margin of error is approximately 4.4 percentage points, meaning results are indicators of sentiment at the time of the survey, not confirmed election outcomes.