New Poll Shows Gadi Eizenkot Surpasses Netanyahu in Prime Minister Preference

A new political poll conducted by Direct Polls for i24NEWS reveals significant shifts in Israel's political landscape ahead of the 26th Knesset elections. The Likud party, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, experiences a slight decline to 28 seats but remains the largest party. Meanwhile, Gadi Eizenkot's "Yashar" party gains strength, rising to 22 seats and positioning itself as the leading center-left alternative.

The current coalition bloc holds only 58 seats, while the opposition grows to 62, complicating prospects for a stable government. Other notable results include the Democrats party increasing to 11 seats, Shas and the "Together" party (led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid) maintaining 9 seats each, and United Torah Judaism steady at 8 seats. Yisrael Beiteinu drops to 8 seats, Otzma Yehudit falls to 7, and Religious Zionism strengthens to 6 seats. Arab parties maintain their standing, with the Joint List at 7 seats and Ra'am at 5.

New parties struggle to cross the electoral threshold, with Hili Tropper's "Beit Tzioni" failing to enter the Knesset, alongside Moshe Feiglin's "Ze'ut," Benny Gantz's Blue and White, and the Economic Party.

The most striking finding is in the prime minister preference question, where Eizenkot leads Netanyahu for the first time, with 47% support versus 44%. This shift indicates a decline in Netanyahu's dominance and highlights Eizenkot's appeal as a unifying figure for center and left voters.

The poll was conducted on July 16, 2026, among 550 adults aged 18 and over, with a margin of error of ±4.1% at a 95% confidence level.