A new election poll points to a dramatic shift within Israel’s Chareidi political landscape, with United Torah Judaism overtaking Shas for the first time in months, while Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Gadi Eisenkot remain deadlocked at the top. The survey also shows Naftali Bennett continuing to lose ground, while a new party led by Yoaz Hendel and Zvi Trooper crosses the electoral threshold for the first time.

According to a Channel 13 News poll, if elections were held today, both Netanyahu’s Likud and Eisenkot’s Yashar Party would win 23 Knesset seats each, with both gaining two seats compared to the previous survey. Bennett’s Together Party continues its downward trend, falling to 13 seats—its weakest showing to date.

Yisrael Beiteinu, led by Avigdor Lieberman, would secure 10 seats. The Democrats would drop two seats to 9, matching the total projected for United Torah Judaism. Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit would receive 8 seats, while Shas would fall sharply to just 7. Ra’am, headed by Mansour Abbas, would earn 5 seats, as would the new Bayit Tzioni party led by Yoaz Hendel and Zvi Trooper, which enters the Knesset for the first time in the poll.

Hadash-Ta’al is projected to win 4 seats, while Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism Party also receives 4 seats after losing one mandate. Benny Gantz’s Blue and White Party and Balad both remain below the electoral threshold.

The bloc breakdown gives the opposition 55 seats, compared with 51 for the current coalition. The Arab parties collectively hold 9 seats, while Bayit Tzioni accounts for the remaining 5.

Respondents were also asked how confident they are in the political bloc they intend to support. The poll found that 49% are certain they will vote for the opposition bloc, 35% say they are firmly behind the coalition, 10% remain undecided, and 6% identify themselves as voters who could support either bloc.

When participants were asked who is better suited to serve as prime minister, Eisenkot led Netanyahu by a margin of 47% to 36% in a hypothetical head-to-head race. In a separate matchup, Bennett also outperformed Netanyahu, receiving 45% support compared with the Prime Minister’s 40%.

The survey also examined public perceptions of Netanyahu’s recent trip to the United States. Forty-three percent of respondents said they believe the primary reason for the visit was the upcoming election campaign, while 36% viewed it as a diplomatic and security mission. Another 14% said they believed the trip was mainly intended for the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Participants were also asked whether Netanyahu’s visit to Washington improved Israel’s chances of achieving its objectives regarding Iran. A majority of 55% said the visit made no difference. Twenty-eight percent believed it improved Israel’s position, while only 4% felt it made the situation worse.

Meanwhile, a separate Channel 14 News poll paints a markedly different picture, showing the right-wing bloc maintaining a governing majority of 62 Knesset seats.

In the Channel 14 survey, Likud remains Israel’s largest party with 32 seats. The center-left bloc receives 47 seats, while the Arab parties collectively rise to 11.

Within the opposition, Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar Party slips by one seat to 22 mandates, while Bennett’s Together Party remains at 7. The Democrats and Shas each receive 10 seats, United Torah Judaism and Yisrael Beiteinu each win 8, Otzma Yehudit earns 7, Hadash-Ta’al receives 6, and both the Religious Zionism Party and Ra’am finish with 5 seats apiece.

Asked who is best suited to serve as prime minister, respondents in the Channel 14 poll gave Netanyahu a commanding lead with 51% support. Eisenkot followed with 37%, while Bennett received 6%, Lieberman 5%, and Gantz just 1%.

Several parties remain below the electoral threshold in the Channel 14 survey. Hendel and Trooper’s Yesodot Yisrael Party received 2.1%, Balad also stood at 2.1%, Moshe Feiglin’s Zehut Party polled at 1.3%, and Blue and White garnered only 1.1%.

{Matzav.com}