Daijiworld Media Network – Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv, May 1: Former prime minister Naftali Bennett and Yashar! Party leader Gadi Eisenkot have overtaken Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in public preference for the top post, according to a latest opinion poll released on Friday.
The survey, conducted by Lazar Research in collaboration with Panel4All, found that 46 per cent of respondents consider Bennett suitable for prime minister, while 44 per cent backed Eisenkot. In comparison, Netanyahu received support from 41 per cent of those surveyed.
In a direct comparison between Bennett and Eisenkot, the contest appeared closely divided, with 33 per cent favouring Eisenkot and 32 per cent backing Bennett, while 35 per cent remained undecided.
The poll also assessed the impact of the newly announced ‘Together’ alliance between Bennett and opposition leader Yair Lapid. Despite expectations, the joint formation appears to have lost momentum, dropping from 31 seats in the previous survey to 28 in the latest findings.
Public opinion remains split on whether Eisenkot should join the alliance. Around 34 per cent supported his inclusion as the party’s second-in-command, while 30 per cent preferred that he continue independently. A significant 36 per cent of respondents were undecided.
On the broader political landscape, the ruling coalition bloc saw a marginal gain, rising to 50 seats. Meanwhile, the opposition bloc, excluding Arab parties, slipped to 60 seats, losing its earlier majority.
Within the coalition, Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party gained one seat to reach nine. On the opposition side, Yair Golan’s Democrats Party also improved its position to 10 seats, while Eisenkot’s Yashar! party dropped to 14 seats.
The poll further indicated limited support for a proposed moderate right-wing party comprising former Likud leaders, which garnered around 3.5 per cent backing — translating to approximately four seats, just above the electoral threshold.
Another survey suggested that a potential alliance between The Reservists party and the New Economic Party could secure around 4.5 per cent support, equivalent to about five seats.
The poll was conducted between April 29 and 30 among 501 respondents across Israel, with a margin of error of 4.4 per cent.