New Poll Shows Major Israeli Parties Gaining, Small Parties Fall Below Threshold
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
A Channel 12 News poll released October 26, 2026, shows Gadi Eisenkot's Yishar party as the largest with 24 mandates, followed by Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud with 21. Parties led by Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zehlikah fell below the electoral threshold. The bloc opposing Netanyahu gained two mandates to 69, while the coalition bloc reached 51. Eisenkot also leads Netanyahu in suitability for Prime Minister.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Gadi Eisenkot's Yishar party leads a new poll with 24 mandates, ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud with 21.
- Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zehlikah's parties fell below the electoral threshold for the third consecutive poll.
- The bloc opposing Netanyahu gained two mandates to 69, while the coalition bloc reached 51 mandates.
- Gadi Eisenkot leads Benjamin Netanyahu by 12 points in suitability for Prime Minister, according to the poll.
- Naftali Bennett's Together party gained mandates, reaching 14 in the latest Channel 12 poll.
- 72% of Israelis surveyed intend to vote in the upcoming elections.
A new poll released by Channel 12 News indicates that if elections were held today, the Yishar party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, would emerge as the largest party with 24 mandates. The Likud party, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu, is also strengthening, projected to receive 21 mandates. Naftali Bennett's Together party shows its first significant gain in a long time, expected to secure 14 mandates.
Other parties showing gains include the Joint List, which would receive 9 mandates, and the Democrats led by Yair Golan, also projected at 9 mandates. Shas, led by Aryeh Deri, and Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu are both expected to receive 8 mandates, as is Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit. United Torah Judaism, led by Yaakov Asher, and Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionism and Identity list are each projected to get 7 mandates, while Ra'am, led by Mansour Abbas, is expected to receive 5 mandates.
Notably, Yoaz Hendel's Reservists-Economic party and Ofer Winter's Am Israel party are projected to fall below the electoral threshold for the third consecutive poll, receiving 2.1% and 2.8% respectively. Benny Gantz's Blue and White party, which has since withdrawn from the election, is also below the threshold with 1.4%.
The poll also indicates a shift in the bloc dynamics. The bloc opposing Netanyahu is projected to gain two mandates, reaching 69 mandates in total, while the coalition bloc is expected to strengthen to 51 mandates. The "third bloc" has effectively disappeared with Hendel and Zehlikah falling below the threshold.
In terms of suitability for Prime Minister, Eisenkot leads Netanyahu by 12 percentage points, with 45% support compared to Netanyahu's 33%. Bennett also shows a lead over Netanyahu, with 39% support for Bennett versus 34% for Netanyahu. The poll also surveyed the impact of public statements by figures like Yinon Magal and revelations concerning Yonatan Urich's contacts with Qatar, as well as Donald Trump's support for Netanyahu, finding that a majority of respondents felt these events would not significantly influence their voting intentions.
Regarding voter turnout, 72% of respondents indicated their intention to vote, with higher turnout expected among opposition supporters and across various demographic groups, though Arab citizens showed a lower intention to vote at 60%. The survey was conducted by Mano Geva's company between October 19-26, 2026, with a sample size of 507 respondents.
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