Jerusalem: Support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party has fallen to its lowest level in nearly a year, with two prominent rivals gaining momentum in the race for premier, according to a new Israeli opinion poll published on Friday.
According to Anadolu Agency, a survey published by the Israeli daily Maariv indicated that Likud lost three seats compared to the previous poll, securing just 22 seats in the 120-member Knesset. This marks its lowest showing since August 2025, when it polled at 21 seats.
The decline in support is attributed to political controversy surrounding a proposed law on military service exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews, alongside remarks by US President Donald Trump questioning Netanyahu's intentions to run in the next election. In a recent interview with ABC News, Trump commented on Netanyahu's career, sparking speculation about his future political plans.
The current term of the Knesset is set to expire in October, with elections anticipated in September or October. Despite the decrease in Likud's support, the poll highlights a persistent political stalemate, with neither Netanyahu's camp nor the opposition securing enough seats to form a government. Netanyahu's allies would win 50 seats, while Jewish opposition parties would claim 60 seats, and Arab parties would secure 10. A minimum of 61 seats is required to form a government, and most Jewish opposition parties have expressed reluctance to depend on Arab parties for a coalition.
The survey also revealed increasing support for former military chief Gadi Eisenkot, whose opposition Yashar party rose to 20 seats. Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's Together party experienced a slight decline, slipping by two seats to 21.
In the contest for premiership, Eisenkot led Netanyahu with 44% support, compared to 40% for the incumbent prime minister. Bennett also outpaced Netanyahu, garnering 43% support versus 39%. Eisenkot, who served as Israel's military chief of staff from February 2015 to January 2019, has become a prominent security figure in politics, opposing full Israeli sovereignty over the occupied West Bank and rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state under current conditions.
The survey was conducted by the private Lazar Research Institute and included a sample of 500 Israelis, with a margin of error of 4.4%.