Israel Poll Shows Netanyahu and Eisenkot Tied, Opposition Bloc Holds 60 Seats

A new News 12 poll published on August 3, 2026, reveals a tie between Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and Gadi Eisenkot's Yisrael party, each projected to win 23 Knesset seats if elections were held today. Likud gained one seat compared to last week’s poll. The opposition bloc, led by parties opposing Netanyahu, holds a combined 70 seats, with the Zionist opposition parties accounting for 60 seats and Arab parties for 10. The coalition parties together have 50 seats.

The Yachdav party, led by Naftali Bennett, maintains its strength with 14 seats, while the Democratic party under Yair Golan holds 10 seats. Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu remains steady at 9 seats. Religious parties show mixed results: Jewish Home gains a seat to 5, while Shas and Otzma Yehudit each lose one seat, standing at 7 seats apiece. Arab parties Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am each have 5 seats, and the Zionist Militants party crosses the electoral threshold with 4 seats. Blue and White and Balad fall below the threshold.

The poll also explored hypothetical scenarios, including a merger of Hadash, Ta’al, and Balad, and Yoav Segalovitz joining Ra’am. This would slightly shift seats within the opposition bloc, with Ra’am gaining one seat and the Democrats losing one, but no major changes beyond that.

Regarding leadership suitability, Eisenkot and Netanyahu are tied at 37% each for prime minister preference, with 21% rejecting both. Netanyahu leads Bennett narrowly (38% to 37%) and leads Lieberman (38% to 27%). On security matters, 34% rated Defense Minister Israel Katz positively, while 57% rated him negatively, with most believing his actions are politically motivated. Nearly half (47%) consider the dismissal of Central Command Chief Eluf Blot inappropriate.

Public opinion on Israel’s security since October 7 is divided: 36% say it worsened, 35% say it improved, and 23% see no change. A majority (62%) do not believe Netanyahu led Israel to a decisive victory after three years of war. On future prospects, 62% doubt Israel will achieve a "complete victory" in Gaza, and 72% do not believe Hamas will disarm. Regarding Lebanon, 63% doubt the US-mediated ceasefire will bring peace or disarm Hezbollah. On Iran, 35% believe Netanyahu’s wars reduced the threat, while 27% think it increased. A majority (51%) support resuming war with Iran.

The poll was conducted by Meno Geva’s Consulting and Research on August 3, 2026, with a representative sample of 503 respondents aged 18 and over, using internet and telephone methods, with a margin of error of ±4.4%.