Netanyahu's Likud overtakes rival party in Israeli election poll

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party has gained a slight lead over Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar! party in the latest election poll, according to KAN News. Likud now polls at 24 seats, an increase of one seat from the previous week when the parties were tied. Yashar! is polling at 23 seats.

Other parties also saw shifts in the poll. Yair Golan's Democrats rose to 10 mandates, up from eight, while Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beyteinu also polled at 10 seats, gaining one mandate. Naftali Bennett's B'Yachad maintained its previous polling numbers with 13 seats.

If Arab parties Hadash, Ta'al, and Balad were to form a joint list, they are expected to secure 8 seats. However, a spokesperson for Hadash indicated a breakdown in talks, suggesting the parties have failed to reach an agreement. If Yoav Segalovitz joins Ra'am, the fourth major Arab party, their combined total could reach 13 seats, potentially weakening Netanyahu's bloc to 52 seats. The Zionist opposition bloc, in contrast, polled at 55 seats, three more than the current coalition.

In terms of leadership preference, Netanyahu has widened his lead as the preferred candidate for prime minister. The poll indicates 41% of respondents believe Netanyahu would be a better leader than Eisenkot, who received 34%. Netanyahu also leads Bennett, 41% to 31%. Bennett, however, is closing the gap with Eisenkot, with the Yashar! leader now holding a 31% to 20% advantage over Bennett, halving the difference from the previous week.

Separately, the poll revealed that approximately one-fifth of Israelis have considered emigrating. This figure rises to 23% among opposition voters, compared to 6% of those who vote for the current coalition. Despite these numbers, nearly 70% of Israelis are not concerned about the potential emigration.

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a breakdown in the talks