A new Channel 12 poll published Monday shows Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party emerging as the largest faction if elections were held today, winning 24 seats, one more than in the previous poll. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud falls to 22 seats, placing second.

Naftali Bennett’s Beyachad rises to 15 seats, Yair Golan’s Democrats to 11, Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu to 10, and Itamar Ben Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit to 8. United Torah Judaism, led by Yitzhak Goldknopf, remains at 8 seats, Shas holds at 7, and Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism receives 5. Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am each receive 5 seats.

Several parties remain below the 3.25% electoral threshold. The Zionist Home of the Reservists, led by Hili Tropper and Yoaz Hendel, receives 2.7%; Balad receives 1.6%; Gilad Erdan’s right-wing party receives 1.3%; and Benny Gantz’s Blue and White receives 0.8%.

The anti-Netanyahu bloc remains at 70 seats, including 60 seats for Zionist opposition parties and 10 for the Arab parties, while the current coalition parties receive 50 seats.

In the prime minister suitability question, Eisenkot leads Netanyahu 40% to 35%, with 19% saying neither and 7% saying they do not know. Bennett also moves ahead of Netanyahu for the first time in several months, leading 37% to 35%, while Netanyahu leads Liberman 38% to 24%.

The poll also found that 63% of respondents believe U.S. President Donald Trump currently determines Israel’s security policy, compared with 25% who say Netanyahu does. Asked whom they trust most to manage relations with Trump, 39% chose Netanyahu, 17% Eisenkot, 16% Bennett and 7% Liberman.

On Gaza, 64% said Israel should continue military operations against Hamas despite U.S. pressure to move toward ending the war, while 25% said Israel should not. On Iran, 36% said Israel should attack Iran alone against the backdrop of Trump preparing to announce an end to the war with Iran, while 44% opposed such an attack and 20% said they did not know.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)