Gadi Eizenkot Leads New Poll as Netanyahu and Bennett Lose Support

A new poll by HaMidmad, published on August 12, 2026, reveals a shifting political landscape in Israel. Gadi Eizenkot's party, Yashar!, maintains its lead with 23 seats, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party declines to 21 seats. Naftali Bennett's party, Beyachad, experiences a sharp drop to 12 seats, continuing its downward trend. Other parties show relative stability: the Democrats under Yair Golan hold 11 seats, and Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu remains at 10 seats.

Among the ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas led by Aryeh Deri drops to 7 seats, down four from its current Knesset strength, while United Torah Judaism stays steady at 8 seats. Otzma Yehudit, led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, gains 8 seats, and Religious Zionism under Bezalel Smotrich holds 5 seats. Arab sector parties Hadash-Ta'al and Ra'am collectively secure 11 seats.

The opposition bloc, led by Eizenkot, totals 56 seats, but if the Zionist Home party of Hili Tropper and Yoaz Hendel, which now crosses the electoral threshold with 4 seats, joins, the bloc would reach 60 seats, nearing a governing majority. Netanyahu's coalition stands at 49 seats. Parties below the threshold include those led by Gilad Erdan and Yuli Edelstein, Balad, and Benny Gantz's Blue and White.

Regarding suitability for prime minister, Eizenkot's support rises to 47%, while Netanyahu's declines to 34%, widening the gap to 13 percentage points. This poll underscores a complex and evolving political environment ahead of upcoming elections.