Former IDF Chief Gadi Eizenkot's Party Surpasses Likud in New Israeli Poll

A recent poll by Maariv reveals a significant shift in Israeli political dynamics, with former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot's party, Yashar!, leading for the first time by surpassing the Likud party. Yashar! secured 22 seats, an increase of two from the previous poll and a ten-seat surge since the April merger of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid's factions. Likud holds 21 seats, while the opposition party Beyachad dropped to 18 seats.

The poll also shows that the Trooper-Hendel alliance fails to cross the electoral threshold in one scenario but gains five seats in another, drawing support mainly from Religious Zionist voters and affecting parties like Israel Beiteinu and The Democrats. The Religious Zionist party itself falls below the threshold in some scenarios, with support as low as 2.4%.

In terms of coalition possibilities, the Netanyahu bloc holds between 46 and 48 seats, while the Zionist opposition ranges from 56 to 59 seats. When combined with the Trooper-Hendel alliance, the opposition could achieve a stable majority of 61 to 63 seats. Eizenkot's leadership boosts his alliance's seats to 39, two more than previously recorded.

Regarding the prime minister preference, Naftali Bennett has narrowed the gap with Netanyahu to 2%, polling at 43% to Netanyahu's 41%. Meanwhile, Eizenkot has widened his lead over Netanyahu to 8%, with 48% support compared to Netanyahu's 40%. This data suggests a potential realignment in Israeli politics ahead of upcoming elections.