Latest Poll Shows Opposition Gaining, Netanyahu's Coalition Facing Challenges
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
A pre-election poll released by Maariv shows the opposition bloc gaining ground, projected to win 54 mandates compared to the coalition's 48. Ofer Vinter's "Our Israel" party is failing to cross the electoral threshold, impacting the coalition's numbers. Naftali Bennett's "B'Yachad" party saw significant growth within the opposition. The poll also indicates increased voter turnout intention and a majority preference for a national unity government over repeat elections.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Opposition bloc gains six mandates over Netanyahu's coalition in latest pre-election poll.
- Ofer Vinter's "Our Israel" party fails to cross electoral threshold, impacting coalition.
- Naftali Bennett's "B'Yachad" party shows significant growth, adding two mandates.
- Voter turnout intention rises to 81%, higher than 71% in 2022 elections.
- Gadi Eisenkot leads Benjamin Netanyahu in preferred Prime Minister polls.
- 60% of Israelis favor a national unity government over repeat elections.
A pre-election poll conducted by Lazar Research for Maariv indicates a significant shift in Israeli political power, with the opposition bloc strengthening and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition facing potential losses. The survey, which included 1,048 adult Israeli citizens between October 19-22, 2026, shows the opposition bloc gaining six mandates compared to the coalition.
A key factor contributing to the coalition's struggles is the "Our Israel" party, led by Ofer Vinter, failing to cross the electoral threshold with only 3% support, below the required 3.25%. This has led to the coalition bloc securing only 48 mandates in the latest poll, a decrease of three mandates from the previous week. Meanwhile, the "change bloc" is projected to win 54 mandates.
Within the opposition, Naftali Bennett's "B'Yachad" party shows the most significant growth, adding two mandates for a total of 15. The "Democrats" party also gains one mandate, reaching 10. Gadi Eisenkot's "Yashar!" party maintains 21 mandates, and Avigdor Lieberman's "Our Home Israel" holds eight.
The poll also highlights voter turnout intentions, with 81% of Israelis confident they will vote, an increase from the 71% in the 2022 elections. Turnout intention is slightly higher among opposition supporters (87%) compared to coalition supporters (83%). Notably, readiness to vote has increased among supporters of Arab parties, reaching the national average of 81%.
In head-to-head matchups for Prime Minister, Gadi Eisenkot leads Benjamin Netanyahu with 49% to 41%. Naftali Bennett has also surpassed Netanyahu, with 45% support compared to Netanyahu's 43%. Netanyahu still leads Avigdor Lieberman, though the gap has narrowed.
A majority of Israelis (60%) favor a national unity government if no bloc secures a majority, with 33% preferring a "change bloc" representative to lead it. Only 23% prefer a repeat election.
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