A new Israeli public opinion survey has revealed that two prominent political figures currently outperform Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when citizens evaluate leadership qualifications, according to research published on Friday.
The study, carried out by Lazar Research in partnership with Panel4All, discovered that 46% of those surveyed considered former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett qualified for the top government position, while 44% expressed similar confidence in former Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot. In contrast, only 41% of respondents rated Netanyahu as suitable for the role.
When participants were asked to choose directly between Bennett and Eisenkot, the results showed a virtual tie: 33% favored Eisenkot, 32% supported Bennett, and 35% remained undecided.
The research also examined support for the newly created Together coalition, which combines Bennett’s political organization with that of Opposition Leader Yair Lapid. While this alliance would maintain its position as the dominant political group in hypothetical elections, its projected parliamentary representation decreased to 28 seats, down from the combined 31 seats the two parties held individually in previous polling.
Public opinion remains divided regarding whether Eisenkot should accept an invitation to join the Together movement. The survey found that 34% believe he should take Lapid’s offer to serve as the second-ranking candidate on their joint ticket, while 30% think he should maintain his independent political path. Another 36% expressed uncertainty about the best course of action.
Current parliamentary projections show the governing coalition gaining ground with 50 seats, while opposition parties, not including Arab political groups, would hold 60 seats. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s Otzma Yehudit party saw an increase to nine seats within the coalition. Among opposition forces, Yair Golan’s Democrats party climbed to 10 seats, while Eisenkot’s Yashar party experienced a decline to 14 seats.
The poll also tested support for a potential centrist right-wing political list that could include former Likud party members such as Yuli Edelstein, Moshe Kahlon, and Gilad Erdan. This hypothetical group garnered 3.5% backing, placing it near the minimum threshold required for parliamentary representation.
Researchers conducted the survey on April 29-30, interviewing 501 Israeli adults. The study carries a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points.
