Poll: Bennett-Lapid party drops seats, Likud becomes largest party

The political landscape in Israel is showing significant shifts, with the Together Party, a joint venture of former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and opposition leader Yair Lapid, experiencing a notable decline in public support. A recent Ma’ariv poll indicates the party now holds only 22 seats, a drop of 6 from its previous standing and a substantial decrease from the 31 seats the two leaders commanded when running separately.

This downturn for the Together Party contrasts with gains made by Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar! Party, which climbed to 17 seats, adding 2 mandates in the latest poll. Eisenkot has seen a total gain of 5 seats since the formation of the Together party. The opposition bloc, excluding Arab parties, has consequently lost one seat, now standing at 58.

Despite a recent downward trend, Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party has re-emerged as the largest party in the poll, holding 23 seats. This position was solidified by the Together Party's weakening. Other parties showing gains include Bezalel Smotrich's Religious Zionist party, which stabilized above the electoral threshold with four seats, and Itamar Ben-Gvir's Otzma Yehudit and the Shas party, each gaining one seat to reach nine.