Israeli politics is heating up as the Likud party, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, closes the gap behind former minister Benny Gantz’s centrist party. Recent polls conducted by Ma’ariv and Israel Hayom show Likud gaining ground and challenging the National Unity Party.
In the latest Ma’ariv poll, Likud is projected to win 21 seats, narrowing the margin behind the National Unity Party’s 24 seats. Gantz’s party, which was polling in the high 30s at the beginning of the year, has seen a decline, with the Ma’ariv poll now placing them at 27 seats.
Overall, the polls suggest a close race, with the current ruling coalition holding 52 seats against 58 for the main opposition parties. The balance of power lies with smaller parties like the United Arab List and the left-wing Hadash-Ta’al alliance, which hold 10 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.
Despite a preference among voters for Gantz as prime minister in head-to-head matchups with Netanyahu, the Israel Hayom poll indicates a potential shift if former prime minister Naftali Bennett allies with other center-right politicians like Avigdor Liberman and Gideon Saar.
Gantz, a former army general and defense minister, joined Netanyahu’s coalition last year in a show of national unity after the Hamas attack in October. However, clashes within the government over strategic planning for the ongoing conflict in Gaza prompted Gantz to resign.
Netanyahu, facing criticism for security failures and under pressure to articulate a clear strategy for the conflict, has resisted calls for early elections and aims to maintain his coalition with religious and right-wing pro-settler parties until 2026.
