Trooper and Handel's Israel Foundations Pass Threshold, Shifting Political Balance Ahead of 2026 Election

A new Maariv poll published on July 7, 2026, reveals a significant shift in Israel's political landscape ahead of the upcoming elections. The newly formed party "Israel Foundations," led by Hili Trooper and Yoaz Handel, has surpassed the electoral threshold for the first time, securing four Knesset seats. This development alters the balance among political blocs.

The Likud party, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, and "Yashar!" headed by Gadi Eizenkot, are now tied with 22 seats each, with Likud gaining one seat. Meanwhile, the "Together" party under Naftali Bennett has dropped by two seats to a low of 16. The Democratic party led by Yair Golan increased by one seat to 11, while Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu lost two seats, standing at nine.

Within the coalition bloc, Likud's gain is offset by losses for Shas and Otzma Yehudit, each losing one seat to seven seats apiece. United Torah Judaism remains steady with eight seats, and Religious Zionism holds four. The Zionist opposition, including Trooper and Handel's party, now commands 62 seats.

Among Arab parties, Hadash-Ta'al dropped one seat to five, and Ra'am remains at five. Both Balad and Blue and White failed to cross the threshold, polling at 2% and 1.7% respectively. Overall, Netanyahu's coalition shrinks by one seat to 48, while the opposition grows to 62 seats. Arab parties hold a combined total of ten seats, down by one from the previous poll.

Public opinion shows 83% of opposition voters oppose including ultra-Orthodox parties in the next coalition, while 59% of coalition voters support their inclusion. Among Arab party voters, 70% favor including at least one Arab party in the coalition. Trust in the government's decision-making remains low nationwide, with 55% expressing no confidence, though 78% of coalition voters still trust the government. The poll was conducted by Lazar Research under Dr. Menachem Lazar, using the All4Panel online panel.