Bennett and Eisenkot’s showdown is shaking up the opposition race

A new Channel 12 poll has left Naftali Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot tied, turning the race to lead the opposition bloc into a decisive moment. The split is now seen as a central weakness for the change camp in its fight against Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition.

According to political commentator Amit Segal, this is the first time in two years, since June 2024, that Bennett is no longer the largest force in the bloc in the weekly surveys by Meno Geva and Channel 12. Segal said the two men have never liked each other much and have been colliding since Eisenkot was army chief and Bennett served in the security cabinet. Political analyst Dafna Liel said the feud is worsening daily, with both sides leaking against each other and trading blows instead of coordinating.

A separate survey by Midgam found that opposition voters prefer Eisenkot as bloc leader, but believe Bennett has a better chance of defeating Netanyahu. Consultant Moshe Klughaft said, “Netanyahu has so many problems and weaknesses in this election, but he has one asset, the fight between Eisenkot and Bennett.” Liel said the dispute is consuming both campaigns’ energy and producing mutual ammunition.

The article also revisits Bennett’s decision to team up with Yair Lapid. A source familiar with the details said Eisenkot warned Bennett on that call that the move would be a mistake and would push Bezalel Smotrich over the electoral threshold, while Bennett denies that account. Soon afterward, Religious Zionism rose to four seats. The same source said Eisenkot knew the Bennett-Lapid partnership would boost him too, and that is what happened.

The poll showed 44% of opposition voters think their camp will win the election, while 65% of Netanyahu voters expect his bloc to win. On a possible government backed by Arab parties, 47% of opposition voters support it and 41% prefer another option. If Netanyahu does not run, 29% said they would keep voting Likud, compared with 6% who would switch parties. Segal and Liel both said Bennett and Eisenkot must decide their future before the September deadline for closing candidate lists, and Klughaft suggested they may need to agree on a rotation deal.