Israel’s latest political survey suggests Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition has regained a small amount of momentum, while the opposition continues to undergo significant changes following recent party realignments.
The Maariv poll indicates that Likud has added one seat compared with the previous survey, slightly strengthening the governing coalition after several weeks of declining support.
Likud Ends Recent Slide
The governing party is now projected to win 22 seats if an election were held today.
The latest figure marks a modest recovery after Likud’s support had fallen steadily from 28 seats during Operation Roaring Lion to 21 in recent polling.
Although the party remains below its wartime peak, the newest survey suggests the downward trend may have paused.
Overall, Netanyahu’s coalition is projected to secure 50 seats, one more than in the previous poll.
Bennett-Lapid Alliance Continues to Lose Ground
The biggest setback in the latest survey was recorded by the Together party, created through the merger of former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and opposition leader Yair Lapid.
Support for the alliance has continued to decline, with the party now projected to receive just 18 seats.
Since the merger roughly two months ago, the alliance has lost an estimated 10 seats, highlighting ongoing challenges in consolidating opposition voters.
Eisenkot’s Party Holds Strong
While Together has struggled, Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar! party has maintained its support.
The party remains projected to win 21 seats, preserving its position as one of the strongest opposition forces.
Compared with its standing before the Bennett-Lapid merger, Yashar! has gained approximately nine seats, suggesting many opposition voters have shifted their support toward Eisenkot.
Opposition Still Leads Overall
Despite changes among individual parties, the broader opposition retains an advantage over the governing coalition.
The poll projects 60 seats for Zionist opposition parties, a decrease of one seat from the previous survey. Arab parties remain unchanged with a combined total of 10 seats.
Meanwhile, several smaller parties continue to struggle below Israel’s electoral threshold, including Blue and White, Balad and the Reservists Party.
Joint Opposition Ticket Produces Mixed Results
Researchers also examined a hypothetical scenario in which Together and Yashar! contest the next election as a single list under Bennett’s leadership.
Such a merger would produce 33 seats, one fewer than in the previous survey and significantly fewer than the combined total the two parties currently receive separately.
Under that arrangement, the opposition bloc would shrink to 58 seats, while Netanyahu’s coalition would increase to 52 seats, suggesting the merger could inadvertently strengthen the governing bloc.
Eisenkot Seen as Stronger Leader
The survey also explored who voters believe is better suited to serve as Israel’s next prime minister.
Among respondents, 34% selected Gadi Eisenkot, while 26% preferred Naftali Bennett.
A sizable 40% said they favored neither candidate or remained undecided.
Researchers also found that placing Eisenkot, rather than Bennett, at the head of a combined opposition list would improve its projected performance to 37 seats.
Public Wants Netanyahu to Prioritize Israel
The poll examined public attitudes toward Netanyahu’s relationship with the United States.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents, or 63%, said the prime minister should prioritize Israel’s national interests even when they conflict with requests from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Only 18% believed Netanyahu should follow the American president’s wishes to preserve the close alliance between the two countries, while 19% remained undecided.
Opinion Divided Over Netanyahu’s Trial
Israelis also expressed differing views on the prime minister’s ongoing legal proceedings.
Almost half of those surveyed, 46%, believe Netanyahu should continue fighting the case in court until a final verdict is delivered.
Another 36% said they would support resolving the matter through a plea agreement or presidential pardon if it resulted in Netanyahu leaving political life, while the remaining respondents had no clear opinion.
Survey Details
The Maariv poll was conducted by Lazar Research under the direction of Dr. Menachem Lazar in partnership with Panel4ALL between June 24 and June 25.
The survey included 500 Jewish and Arab Israeli adults aged 18 and older.
Researchers reported a maximum sampling margin of error of 4.4 percentage points.
