A Channel 12 survey shows Netanyahu’s Likud still the largest party, but shifting alliances could give the anti-Netanyahu bloc a razor-thin Knesset majority.
A new Channel 12 News poll released Thursday evening confirms that Likud, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, continues to dominate as Israel’s largest party with 24 seats.
Trailing behind is “Bennett 2026”, the new faction launched by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, which slips slightly to 19 seats, down from 21 last week.
Party Breakdown
- Likud – 24
- Bennett 2026 – 19
- Yisrael Beytenu (Avigdor Liberman) – 11
- The Democrats (Yair Golan) – 11
- Shas (Aryeh Deri) – 9
- Yesh Atid (Yair Lapid) – 8
- Yashar (Gadi Eisenkot) – 8 (down from 12 in earlier polls)
- United Torah Judaism (Yitzhak Goldknopf) – 7
- Hadash-Ta’al – 5
- Ra’am (Mansour Abbas) – 5
- Otzma Yehudit – 5
- Religious Zionist Party (Bezalel Smotrich) – 4
- Reservists’ Party (Yoaz Hendel) – 4
Parties falling below the electoral threshold include Balad and Blue and White (Benny Gantz) — a dramatic setback for the former defense minister.
Blocs at a Glance
- Netanyahu bloc: 49 seats
- Anti-Netanyahu bloc: 57 seats
- Arab parties combined: 10 seats
With the addition of Yoaz Hendel’s Reservists’ Party, the anti-Netanyahu bloc reaches the critical 61-seat majority, enough to potentially form a government.
The Takeaway
The poll highlights both Netanyahu’s continued strength as Israel’s leading political figure and the volatility of the political landscape, where new entrants like Bennett’s and Hendel’s parties are reshuffling alliances.
While Likud remains the anchor of Israeli politics, the balance of power is now in flux — and the next election could hinge on whether right-leaning but non-Netanyahu parties side with or against the current prime minister.
