Likud Weakens as Gadi Eizenkot's Party Narrows Gap Ahead of Israeli Elections

A Channel 13 poll released three months before the anticipated Israeli elections shows the Likud party, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, weakening but still holding the largest share with 21 seats. Gadi Eizenkot's "Yashar" party closely follows with 20 seats, while Naftali Bennett's "Together" party recovers slightly to 17 seats but remains unable to lead the anti-Netanyahu bloc. Other parties include the Democrats with 11 seats, Yisrael Beiteinu with 10, Shas with 9, and both United Torah Judaism and Otzma Yehudit with 8 seats each. Hadash-Ta'al holds 6 seats, and both Religious Zionism and Ra'am have 5 seats each. Blue and White, Balad, and the Reservists' Party remain below the electoral threshold.

In bloc terms, the current coalition holds 51 seats, the opposition 58, and Arab parties 11. A complex unification scenario involving a joint Hadash-Ta'al and Balad list (10 seats), a combined run by Benny Gantz, Smotrich, and Hendel (5 seats), and a new party formed by Ardan, Shaked, and Edelstein (4 seats) would reduce Likud to 18 seats, Eizenkot's party to 19, and Bennett's party to 14. This would shift the blocs to 47 for the coalition, 50 for the opposition, 14 for Arab parties, and 9 for new parties.

Voter indecision remains high at 26%, with 12% unsure and 8% planning to vote for parties unlikely to pass the threshold. Additionally, 51% oppose Netanyahu's proposal for a broad national unity government, while 29% support it. Regarding suitability for leading a unity government, 44% prefer Eizenkot compared to 40% for Netanyahu.

Ahead of the 1,000-day mark since the outbreak of the October 7 war, the poll reveals public pessimism: only 25% believe Israel is winning the war, 15% think Hamas is winning, and 49% see no clear outcome yet.