Poll Shows Netanyahu Widening Lead Over Eisenkot in Israeli Politics
Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba
A Channel 14 poll shows Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party gaining strength, projected to win 30 seats, while Gadi Eisenkot's Yisrael Beiteinu party loses seats. Netanyahu also widened his lead over Eisenkot in suitability for prime minister, with 56% favoring Netanyahu. The right-wing bloc is projected to hold 62 seats in the Knesset.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- A new poll indicates Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party is projected to win 30 seats.
- Gadi Eisenkot's Yisrael Beiteinu party is projected to lose three seats, falling to 19.
- Netanyahu leads Eisenkot in suitability for prime minister with 56% to 30%.
- The right-wing bloc is projected to gain a seat, reaching 62 seats in the Knesset.
- The poll was conducted by NEXT DATA with 454 adult respondents on October 19, 2026.
A new poll released by Channel 14 indicates a significant shift in the Israeli political landscape, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party strengthening its position and widening the gap with Gadi Eisenkot's Yisrael Beiteinu party. The survey suggests the right-wing bloc would gain 62 seats in the Knesset, while the left-wing bloc would decline to 45 seats.
According to the poll, the Likud party is projected to win 30 seats, an increase from the previous survey. In contrast, Yisrael Beiteinu, led by Gadi Eisenkot, is expected to lose three seats, dropping to 19. The Democrats, led by Yair Golan, are projected to gain two seats, reaching 10. Other parties like Together (led by Naftali Bennett) and Shas would maintain their current strength, while United Torah Judaism would hold 8 seats. Religious Zionism and Identity would secure 7 seats, and Otzma Yehudit, led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, would also have 7 seats. Yisrael Beiteinu, led by Avigdor Lieberman, would remain at 6 seats. The Joint List would gain one seat to 8, while Ra'am would lose one seat to 5.
In the crucial question of suitability for prime minister, Netanyahu has also extended his lead. 56% of respondents believe Netanyahu is the most suitable candidate, compared to 30% for Eisenkot. Naftali Bennett saw his support drop to 7%, while Avigdor Lieberman's support rose to 7%.
The head-to-head matchup between Netanyahu and Eisenkot also shows an expanded lead for the Prime Minister. Currently, 54% of respondents favor Netanyahu as prime minister, versus 46% for Eisenkot. This marks an increase from the previous poll, where the difference was only two percentage points.
The survey was conducted by NEXT DATA with 454 adult respondents and analyzed by Shlomo Filber. The data was collected on October 19, 2026.
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