Likud Leads in Poll, but Gadi Eizenkot Surpasses Netanyahu for Prime Minister Support

A new poll released Thursday evening by i24NEWS through the Direct Polls research institute reveals the current distribution of Knesset seats if elections were held today. Likud remains the leading party with 28 seats, followed by the Yisrael party with 22 seats. The Democrats hold 11 seats, while both the Together party and Shas have 9 seats each. United Torah Judaism and Yisrael Beiteinu each receive 8 seats, and the Joint List and Otzma Yehudit stand at 7 seats apiece. Further down, Religious Zionism has 6 seats and Ra'am holds 5 seats, all above the electoral threshold. Conversely, parties such as Zionist Home, Zehut, Blue and White, and the Economic Party fail to cross the threshold.

The poll also indicates that the coalition bloc holds 58 seats, whereas the opposition bloc leads with 62 seats. Regarding the preferred candidate for prime minister, opposition figure Gadi Eizenkot leads with 47% support compared to 44% for incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while 9% of respondents were undecided.