Likud breaks Iran war decline, gains one seat, as Together continues downward trend - poll

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party has seen a reversal in its electoral fortunes, gaining one seat in a recent Maariv poll, thereby halting a consistent downward trend. This shift also strengthens the governing coalition, which has seen a marginal increase in its overall seat count. The poll was released against the backdrop of Netanyahu's declaration that Israel will not withdraw from the security buffer zone in southern Lebanon and his conclusion of testimony in his ongoing trial.

Conversely, the Together party, a joint list formed by the merger of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, continues to experience a significant decline. Since its inception, the party has lost 10 seats, and the latest poll shows it with just 18 seats. This downward trajectory contrasts sharply with "Yashar!", led by Gadi Eisenkot, which has remained stable and surged by 9 seats since the Bennett-Lapid merger, reaching 21 seats.

The poll results indicate a shift in the parliamentary landscape, with the opposition bloc of Zionist parties now receiving 60 seats, a decrease of one seat from the previous poll, while Netanyahu’s coalition strengthens to 50 seats. Arab parties remain stable with 10 seats. The analysis suggests that a merger between Together and Yashar! would weaken the opposition bloc further, resulting in fewer seats than when they ran separately. The poll also explores voter movement between the parties, highlighting a fragmentation within the opposition.