Right-Wing Bloc Strengthens as Bennett-Lapid Party Nears Electoral Threshold, Survey Shows

A new poll conducted by NEXT DATA and published by Channel 14 on August 18, 2026, reveals a strengthening right-wing bloc in Israel's political landscape following the Likud primaries. The right-wing coalition now holds a solid majority of 63 Knesset seats, while the left-wing bloc has weakened to 46 seats. The Likud party, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, remains the largest party with 32 seats, one less than in the previous poll.

The second-largest party is "Yashar," headed by Gadi Eizenkot, which gained one seat to reach 24 mandates. Shas holds 10 seats, the Democrats 9, and Otzma Yehudit has increased by two seats to 8. Israel Beiteinu and United Torah Judaism both declined to 7 seats each. The Religious Zionist Party remains steady at 6 seats. Notably, the "Beyachad" party of Naftali Bennett has sharply declined to just 6 seats, approaching the electoral threshold.

Among Arab parties, Ra'am increased to 6 seats, while Hadash-Ta'al holds 5. Other Arab parties such as Balad, Identity, and the Zionist Military Home party remain below the threshold. Smaller parties and individual candidates like Gilad Erdan and Ofer Winter also fall below the threshold.

Regarding suitability for prime minister, Netanyahu leads decisively with 55% support, compared to 35% for Eizenkot. Bennett receives 6%, Avigdor Lieberman 3%, and Benny Gantz 1%. In a direct comparison between Netanyahu and Eizenkot, Netanyahu leads 55% to 45%.

The survey included 636 adult respondents from across Israel and was analyzed by Shlomo Filber. It reflects the political shifts just after the Likud primaries and ahead of the 2026 elections.