Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is gradually reclaiming the support he lost following the October 7th tragedy, while his main rival’s momentum appears to be diminishing, as per a recent poll conducted by Channel 14 in Israel.
According to the projections, Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud coalition would secure 59 mandates if an election were held today, just two short of its current 61.
In a head-to-head comparison, Netanyahu leads Benny Gantz (National Unity) by 47% to 34%. In another hypothetical scenario, Netanyahu leads Yair Lapid (Yesh Atid) by 49% to 28%, according to the Channel 14 poll.
It’s worth noting that Channel 14 openly supports Netanyahu’s government, as reported by The Jerusalem Post. The survey was conducted by Direct Polls.
Gantz’s left-wing National Unity experienced a surge in the early days of Israel’s conflict with Hamas following their invasion on October 7th.
The survey indicates Netanyahu winning 28 Knesset seats if elections were held today, compared to 26 for National Unity and 12 for Lapid’s Yesh Atid.
However, two other surveys present a different perspective. Recent polls by Channel 13 and Channel 12 show Gantz’s party earning 37 seats compared to 18 for Netanyahu’s Likud.
Additionally, Channel 12 shows Gantz leading Netanyahu by 43% to 27%, while Netanyahu leads Lapid by 31% to 25%.
Netanyahu has faced criticism since the outset of the tragedy over Israel’s security forces being caught off guard despite prior intelligence indicating Hamas’s two-year planning for the attack. Criticism has been directed at his response to the tragedy and his failure to secure the release of all 240 hostages promptly. Additionally, there was discontent over his delayed meeting with the families of the hostages.
