Poll Shows Bennett's Party Plummeting to 14 Seats Amid Right-Wing Bloc Decline

A recent poll conducted by Kantar for Kan News reveals a significant drop in support for Naftali Bennett's party, which has fallen to a low of 14 Knesset seats. According to the survey, if elections were held today, the Likud party would secure 22 seats, while the Yisrael Beiteinu party would gain 21. Bennett and Yair Lapid's joint party, Yachdav, has sharply declined, contrasting with other parties such as the Democrats with 10 seats, Otzma Yehudit and Yisrael Beiteinu each with 9, Shas and United Torah Judaism with 8, Hadash-Ta'al and Ra'am with 5 each, Religious Zionism with 5, and the party of Hili Tropper and Yoaz Hendel with 4 seats.

The right-wing bloc totals 52 seats, whereas the anti-Netanyahu bloc reaches 58 seats, indicating that a government could only be formed with the support of Arab parties. Regarding leadership suitability, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz (referred to as Eisenkot in the poll) have similar support levels, with Netanyahu favored by 39% of the public and Gantz by 38%. However, the gap between Netanyahu and Bennett has widened, with only 31% of respondents believing Bennett is fit to return as prime minister.

This poll highlights the shifting political landscape in Israel, with Netanyahu maintaining a slight edge in leadership preference and the right-wing bloc struggling to secure a majority without Arab party backing. The results suggest continued political fragmentation and challenges for Bennett's political future.