Netanyahu Widens Lead Over Gadi Eizenkot as New Parties Fail to Cross Threshold

A new poll released on August 9, 2026, by Kan 11 reveals significant shifts in Israel's political landscape following the launch of two new parties. Neither of the new parties managed to surpass the electoral threshold, impacting the distribution of Knesset seats and strengthening the bloc aligned with Benjamin Netanyahu to 53 mandates, an increase of one seat from previous polls.

The Likud party remains the largest with 24 seats, while Gadi Eizenkot's "Yashar!" party holds steady at 23 seats. Naftali Bennett's "Yachad" maintains 13 seats. Among right-wing parties, Otzma Yehudit drops to 8 seats, the Religious Zionist Party rises to 5, and Yisrael Beiteinu strengthens to 10 seats. Both Shas and United Torah Judaism receive 8 seats each.

Notably, Yair Golan's Democratic Party rebounds to 10 seats after a previous decline. In the Arab sector, Ra'am increases to 6 seats amid rumors of a potential alliance with Yoav Segalovich. A hypothetical merger of Hadash-Ta'al and Balad would yield 8 seats. However, the new parties led by Trooper and Handel, as well as those by Ardan and Edelstein, fail to enter the Knesset. Blue and White, Dedi Simchi, and Balad also remain below the threshold.

The poll also shows Netanyahu gaining ground as the preferred prime minister, with 41% support compared to 34% for Eizenkot, a 7-point lead. Additionally, the survey highlights a concerning trend of emigration, with one-fifth of respondents recently considering leaving Israel and one-third knowing someone who emigrated in the past two years.

Overall, the poll indicates a tight race between Likud and Eizenkot's bloc, but the new parties have yet to alter the political balance, instead contributing to Netanyahu's strengthened position.