politics
Poll Shows Netanyahu's Likud Would Win Most Seats in Hypothetical Israeli Election
A Channel 12 News poll published on May 14, 2026 found Likud would secure 26 seats if elections were held today. The opposition Beyahad merger party led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid would receive 24 seats. The survey indicated the Jewish opposition parties would fall three seats short of a majority if they continue to boycott Arab parties.
May 14, 4:58 PM·1m read2 sources
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A poll conducted for Channel 12 News and published on Thursday indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party would win the most seats in Israel's Knesset if elections were held today. The survey showed Likud gaining one seat since the previous poll to reach 26 seats.
The main opposition bloc, known as Beyahad and led by Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid, lost one seat and stood at 24 seats. According to the poll, the bloc of Jewish parties opposing Netanyahu would be three seats short of the 61 needed to form a majority government.
This outcome reflects recent surveys showing that parties opposing Netanyahu are unlikely to secure a Knesset majority if they continue to boycott Arab parties.
The poll results highlight the challenge facing opposition parties in building a coalition without including Arab parties. Observers have noted that this boycott has limited the opposition's ability to reach a governing threshold in multiple surveys conducted over recent months.
The findings come amid ongoing political divisions in Israel following the events of October 7, 2024 and the subsequent war in Gaza. No election date has been set, and the current government remains in power.
