Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition remains at 49 seats, while the opposition bloc holds a stable 61-seat majority for a third straight week, according to a Maariv poll published on Friday.
The poll, conducted about a week into the ceasefire with Iran and before the ceasefire with Lebanon was declared, found that recent developments in the regional fighting did not materially change the political map.
While there was no significant movement between the blocs, in the opposition, Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar! party lost one seat to the Democrats.
Since the outbreak of the Iran war on February 28, Likud has fallen from 27 seats to 25, where it has now remained for three consecutive weeks. Bennett 2026, which began the war with 21 seats, has stabilized at 24 in the past two weeks.
Who is best fit to be prime minister?
The poll also pointed to a tight contest over public suitability for the role of prime minister. In a head-to-head matchup, 43% said Netanyahu is more suited to the role, while 41% chose former prime minister Naftali Bennett.
Against Eisenkot, Netanyahu held a wider lead. Forty-five percent said Netanyahu was more suitable for the premiership, compared with 38% who preferred Eisenkot.
Asked how they would vote if the next Knesset election were held with the current party lineup, respondents gave Likud 25 seats, unchanged; Bennett 2026 24, unchanged; Yashar! 12, down from 13; Shas and Yisrael Beytenu at 9 each, unchanged; the Democrats 9, up from 8; Otzma Yehudit 8, unchanged; Yesh Atid and United Torah Judaism each unchanged at 7; Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am at 5, unchanged.
Supreme Court, regional security, and Lebanon tensions
The survey also found that Israelis tend to oppose Supreme Court intervention in the appointment or dismissal of government ministers. 46% said such intervention would be inappropriate, compared with 36% who supported it, while 18% were unsure.
On regional security, 62% of respondents said they believe Israel will return to fighting Iran in the near future. Twenty-four percent said they do not believe that will happen, and 14% said they did not know.
Views on Lebanon were evenly divided. 37% said they believe Israel and Lebanon could eventually sign a peace agreement; an equal percentage said they do not believe that will happen; and 26% were undecided.
The survey, conducted by Lazar Research in cooperation with Panel4All on Wednesday and Thursday, April 15-16. The poll surveyed 500 respondents, constituting a representative sample of Israel’s adult population aged 18 and over, including Jews and Arabs. The maximum margin of error was 4.4%.