Nearly Half of Israelis Support Minority Government Led by Gadi Eisenkot if No Clear Election Winner Emerges

As Israel approaches the 2026 elections, a new Channel 13 poll reveals a significant shift in public opinion. Gadi Eisenkot's party, Yashar, continues to grow, now projected to win 26 Knesset seats. The poll explored Israeli preferences in the event of a hung parliament, finding that nearly 50% of the public support forming a minority government under Eisenkot, while 38% oppose it.

Support for a minority government is even stronger among opposition voters, with 63% in favor and only 19% against. Breakdown by opposition party shows 85% of Democratic Party supporters back Eisenkot's minority government, along with 83% of Eisenkot's own supporters, 71% of Bennett-Lapid voters, and 66% of Lieberman supporters.

The threshold for entering the Knesset remains a critical factor. When asked if they would risk voting for parties near the electoral threshold, 57% of coalition supporters said yes, compared to 43% of opposition voters, who recall the 2022 election when Meretz failed to pass the threshold. Among undecided voters, 58% of Netanyahu supporters are willing to take this risk, versus 40% of Eisenkot supporters.

Following the Likud primaries, party members were surveyed on the best and worst candidates on their list. Amichai Shikli was favored by 61%, Almog Cohen by 57%, and Amir Ohana by 55%. Conversely, 46% viewed Dudi Amsalem as the weakest candidate, with 35% each for Miri Regev and Miki Zohar.

The survey was conducted over two days by HaMidmad in collaboration with Stat-Net, Midgam, and Askaria, with statistical advice from Professor David Steinberg. It included 1,247 respondents and has a margin of error of 3.8%.