New Poll Shows Eisenkot and Bennett Rising as Netanyahu's Party Slips
A new Walla poll ahead of the October 2026 Knesset elections shows Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett gaining strength while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party slips. Neither political bloc reaches the 61-seat majority.
Poll Shows Eisenkot and Bennett Gaining as Netanyahu Slips
A new poll published on Monday by Walla ahead of the October 27, 2026 Knesset elections indicates a strengthening of political figures like Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's ruling party continues to lose ground.
According to the survey conducted by Lazar Research headed by Dr. Menachem Lazar, following Benny Gantz's decision to withdraw from the race, Eisenkot's party rose by one mandate to 23 seats. Meanwhile, Netanyahu's ruling party dropped one seat to 19 mandates, widening the gap between the two leading factions to four seats.
Shifts Across the Political Map
The "BeYachad" list, formed by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, gained a mandate to reach 14 seats. Conversely, Yair Golan's "The Democrats" dropped to 9 mandates, and Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu decreased to 8 seats. Among the ultra-Orthodox and nationalist parties, Shas rose to 8 seats, United Torah Judaism slipped to 7, Otzma Yehudit maintained 8, and Religious Zionism held steady at 6.
Neither political bloc succeeded in reaching the crucial 61-mandate threshold required to form a government. The Netanyahu-led bloc dropped to 48 seats, while the opposition bloc maintained 54 mandates, leaving the balance of power dependent on smaller factions and Arab parties.
Gantz's Withdrawal and Reactions
Benny Gantz announced on Monday that he would not run in the upcoming elections after observing stagnant polling numbers.
"I will not run in the upcoming elections - I will continue to fight for unity. This is the only solution that will prevent another disaster and protect Israel against all domestic and external challenges," Gantz stated.
Gadi Eisenkot responded to the announcement, praising his colleague's decision: "I thank my friend, Lt. Gen. (Res.) Benny Gantz, for his correct and responsible decision to withdraw from the most fateful elections since the state's inception."
