Gadi Eizenkot’s Yisrael! Gains Strength as He Leads Prime Minister Preference Poll

A new Channel 12 poll published on July 20, 2026, shows that the Yisrael! party, led by former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot, has strengthened its position to become the largest party in Israel with 24 Knesset seats, one more than last week. Eizenkot also continues to lead in the race for prime minister preference, holding 43% support compared to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s 37%, though Netanyahu’s support has increased since the previous poll.

Likud, headed by Netanyahu, also gained one seat, reaching 23 mandates, while the Yamina party under Naftali Bennett dropped to 15 seats. Other shifts include the Democratic camp led by Yair Golan rising to 11 seats, and Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu falling to 9. The ultra-Orthodox parties Shas, United Torah Judaism, and Otzma Yehudit remain stable at 8 seats each, with the Arab parties Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am holding 5 seats apiece. The Religious Zionism party led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declined to 4 seats.

The poll also examined voter preferences in hypothetical scenarios involving new party formations and alliances. A potential union between Benny Gantz and Dedi Simchi, alongside a new party by retired Brigadier General Ofer Winter and a joint run by Gilad Erdan and Yuli Edelstein, would slightly alter the distribution but leave Yisrael! and Likud tied at 25 seats each. In this scenario, Otzma Yehudit would gain a seat, while Religious Zionism would fall below the electoral threshold.

Regarding coalition dynamics, opposition voters mostly prefer forming a government with external support from an Arab party (44%) rather than new elections (28%) or a unity government with Likud (13%). Coalition voters largely approve of Netanyahu’s deal with the ultra-Orthodox parties, with 59% satisfied and 70% wanting the ultra-Orthodox to remain in the next coalition.

The poll was conducted by Meno Geva’s Consulting and Research Institute using a representative sample of 507 Israelis aged 18 and over, with a margin of error of ±4.4%. Data collection was done via internet and telephone.