The battle for Israel: As Netanyahu rallies the Right, Eisenkot makes his move for power

A majority of Israelis prefer a unity government over additional voting if the October 27 election fails to yield a decisive outcome, according to a new survey. The poll, conducted by Lazar Research in cooperation with Panel4ALL for the Maariv newspaper, indicates that only 27 percent of respondents favored another election, while 18 percent remained undecided. The study revealed distinct preferences between political camps. Fifty-four percent of opposition voters supported a unity cabinet solely if it were led by a leader from their own bloc. Coalition supporters displayed more division, with nearly 40 percent preferring a unity government headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whereas 32 percent opted for further elections in the event of a deadlock. Gadi Eisenkot, leader of the Yashar party, currently holds a lead over Netanyahu in head-to-head comparisons. Forty-eight percent of respondents viewed Eisenkot as a superior prime ministerial candidate compared to Netanyahu’s 41 percent. In matchups against Naftali Bennett of B’Yachad, the two men were tied at 43 percent each. When pitted against Avigdor Liberman of Yisrael Beytenu, Netanyahu maintained a lead with 43 percent support against Liberman’s 37 percent. Optimism regarding election results varied significantly by bloc. Seventy-nine percent of Israelis expressed confidence that their preferred bloc would win, while 21 percent held pessimistic views. Among coalition voters, 90 percent were optimistic about victory, a higher rate than the 75 percent optimism recorded among opposition voters. Seat projections show a tight race entering the final days before polling. Arab parties gained one seat each this week, reaching a combined total of 14. Likud dropped two seats to 18. Despite this decline, the broader coalition bloc lost only one seat, settling at 51, aided by United Torah Judaism gaining one seat to reach eight and the People of Israel crossing the electoral threshold with four seats. Conversely, the opposition bloc also fell by one seat to 51 after Yisrael Beytenu lost one seat, dropping to eight. This leaves the two main blocs tied. The Reservists-Economic Party also crossed the threshold with four seats but is not assigned to either major bloc. Adding this party to either side would still fail to secure the 61 seats required for a parliamentary majority. Yashar leads all parties with 21 projected seats. B’Yachad follows with 13. Yair Golan’s Democrats project nine seats. Yisrael Beytenu, Otzma Yehudit, the Joint List, and United Torah Judaism all project eight seats. Shas projects seven, while the Religious Zionist Party and Ra’am project six each. The People of Israel and the Reservists-Economic Party project four seats apiece. Blue and White, the Haredi Public, Noam for Israel, and Tzomet Beit Yisrael failed to meet the electoral threshold, polling between 0.2 percent and 1.1 percent. Undecided voters account for 5.2 percent of the sample. The survey interviewed 700 respondents aged 18 and older, representing Jewish and Arab populations, during October 14 and 15. Campaign strategies have intensified as the election approaches. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has increased his presence on domestic media channels, appearing on Channel 11, Channel 14, and Army Radio within a single week. His messaging emphasizes that the race is closely contested and warns right-wing voters against splitting their votes. Netanyahu has specifically targeted Ofer Winter’s People of Israel party, stating he attempted to persuade Winter to join Likud or ally with another small right-wing group. These efforts aim to prevent right-leaning voters from supporting centrist or left-leaning options. Meanwhile, Gadi Eisenkot focuses on consolidating the opposition base. He seeks to expand his party’s support at the expense of other anti-Netanyahu factions such as B’Yachad, the Democrats, and Yisrael Beytenu. Accusations exchanged between the camps remain sharp. Pro-Netanyahu voices argue that the opposition is responsible for historical disasters and is steering the nation toward catastrophe. Opponents counter that the current leadership intends to form alliances with Arab parties to establish a Palestinian state. The political landscape features a fragmented field where small parties hold pivotal leverage. The People of Israel and the Reservists-Economic Party occupy a central position in the political spectrum, making them key targets for courtship by both major blocs. The Arab parties operate independently of these main coalitions. The coming days will determine whether these tactical maneuvers shift enough voter intent to break the current tie between the coalition and opposition blocs.