A new Channel 13 poll shows Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc moving ahead of the Zionist opposition bloc for the first time in the 2026 election campaign, taking 54 seats to the opposition’s 52. The Arab parties receive a combined 14 seats, leaving neither major bloc with the 61 seats required to form a Knesset majority.

Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar remains the largest individual party with 22 seats, while Likud falls to 18, its lowest showing in Channel 13 polling. Naftali Bennett’s B’Yachad receives 12 seats and the Democrats 10. Yisrael Beiteinu, Otzma Yehudit, the Religious Zionism-Zehut alliance and the Joint List each receive 8 seats.

Shas and United Torah Judaism each receive 7 seats, while Ofer Winter’s Am Yisrael climbs to 6 and Ra’am also receives 6. Yoaz Hendel and Yaron Zelekha remain below the electoral threshold, as do the Haredi Public party and Benny Gantz’s Blue and White, which falls below 1%.

The result marks a notable shift from Channel 13’s two previous polls, on September 2 and September 9, which both showed the blocs tied at 53-53. On the question of suitability for prime minister, Eisenkot leads Netanyahu 45% to 36%, while 19% responded that they did not know.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)