Netanyahu and Lapid
Netanyahu and LapidHadas Parush/Flash 90 and Likud spokesperson

A new poll published on Channel 12 News on Friday finds that the split in the predominantly Arab Joint List Party changes the distribution of seats among the blocs, but neither bloc has a majority of 61 MKs needed to form a stable government.

The poll, conducted by the Midgam Institute headed by Mano Geva together with iPanel, finds that if elections were held today, the Likud would gain strength and win 33 Knesset seats, while Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid Party wins 23 seats, and the National Unity Party led by Benny Gantz wins 12 seats.

The Religious Zionism Party, led by Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben Gvir, gains strength and wins 12 seats, Shas wins 8 seats, and United Torah Judaism has 7 seats.

Yisrael Beytenu and Labor both gain strength, with each party winning 6 Knesset seats. Meretz, led by Zehava Galon, wins 5 seats. The Arab parties - Hadash-Ta'al and Ra'am - each win 4 seats.

Balad, which announced at the last minute on Thursday that it will split from Hadash and Ta’al, does not pass the 3.25% electoral threshold required to enter the Knesset, winning just 0.9% of the votes. Other parties that do not pass the electoral threshold are Ayelet Shaked’s Jewish Home (1.9%) and Eli Avidar’s Free Israel Party (0.4%).

In terms of blocs, the pro-Netanyahu bloc has 60 seats, the anti-Netanyahu bloc has 56 and Hadash-Ta'al is in the middle with its 4 seats.

Respondents in the poll were also asked which of the following, Prime Minister Yair Lapid or opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, is the most suitable for the position of Prime Minister. 46% replied that Netanyahu is most suitable, while 29% said Lapid. When Netanyahu was placed against Benny Gantz, he led with 46% compared to Gantz with 25%.

(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)