Gadi Eizenkot Seen as Most Trustworthy Politician; Majority Oppose Ultra-Orthodox Parties in Next Israeli Government

A recent political survey conducted by Ulpan Shishi in collaboration with Midgam and iPanel reveals that former Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot is perceived as the most trustworthy politician among Israelis. Eizenkot received a positive trust rating from 54% of respondents, while only 29% rated him poorly. In contrast, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was viewed as the least trustworthy, with 60% giving him a poor rating and only 38% a positive one. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett also received a majority negative trust rating at 53%, with 41% rating him positively.

The poll also projected the distribution of Knesset seats if elections were held now. Eizenkot's party, Yashar!, leads with 22.75 seats, followed closely by Netanyahu's Likud with 22.25 seats. Bennett and Yair Lapid's party, Beyachad, would receive 16.25 seats. Other notable parties include the Democrats led by Yair Golan with 9.75 seats, Yisrael Beiteinu under Avigdor Lieberman with 9.5 seats, and Otzma Yehudit led by Itamar Ben-Gvir with 8.5 seats. The ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism each hold 8 seats. The "anti-Bibi" bloc would have 68.75 seats, while the "pro-Bibi" bloc would have 51.25 seats.

Regarding public opinion on ultra-Orthodox influence, 65% of respondents said that government legislation favoring the ultra-Orthodox, such as the Basic Law on Torah Study and military service exemptions, affects their voting decisions. Conversely, 28% said these laws do not influence their vote. When asked about voting patterns compared to their parents, 37% intend to vote for the same party or bloc, while 45% plan to vote differently. Among parents with voting-age children, 49% said their children vote the same way, 24% said some children vote similarly and others differently, and 10% said their children vote differently.

A majority of 53% oppose forming a government supported or tolerated by the Ra'am party led by Mansour Abbas, while 31% support such a government. Furthermore, 61% of respondents prefer the next government to exclude ultra-Orthodox parties, with only 27% favoring their inclusion.