Right-Wing Voters Shift to Alternatives as Netanyahu's Likud Loses Support

In the July 2026 Israeli election polls, a significant discrepancy emerged between surveys regarding right-wing voter distribution. One poll showed Likud with 32 seats, Naftali Bennett's party with seven, and Gadi Eizenkot's party with 22, while another showed Eizenkot with 24 seats, Likud with 23, and Bennett with 15. This eight-seat difference is not a minor statistical variance but reflects a large voter group undecided about their political home.

Contrary to common left-wing interpretations that these voters abandoned the right for the left due to disillusionment with Netanyahu, many of these voters remain right-wing on security, skeptical of territorial concessions and judicial overreach, and oppose radical left-wing ideas. Instead, they seek a new right-wing alternative that is liberal, security-focused, democratic, and part of the right-wing bloc. Bennett and Eizenkot currently benefit from this vacuum but have yet to fully convince voters, with Bennett facing trust issues and Eizenkot lacking proven political leadership.

Sociological factors also play a role, as many right-wing voters are alienated by the current right-wing coalition's religious identity, sectoral language, and extreme elements. These voters desire judicial reform and balanced governance without unchecked government or judiciary dominance. They reject closed elite dominance and want fair democratic rules.

This gap highlights the need for a new liberal right-wing party that remains loyal to the national bloc, is strong on security and sovereignty, liberal on civil liberties and religion-state issues, and advocates judicial reform as part of Israel's constitutional development rather than revenge. Such a party would appeal culturally to centrist voters and uphold clear principles of popular sovereignty, national security, and limiting unelected power centers.

The upcoming elections will not only decide Netanyahu's future but also whether the right can renew itself and expand to include those who left Likud without abandoning right-wing ideology. The eight missing seats do not indicate a weakening right but rather the absence of a new right-wing home for these voters. The author is a constitutional law expert and founder of the Masad Haaretz research institute.