Yashar Party Overtakes Likud in Latest Israeli Polls

A series of polls released in July 2026 show former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party moving ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud. The i24NEWS poll (July 9) places Yashar at 21 seats, while Likud holds a stable 29 seats. The Jerusalem Post poll (July 5) reports Yashar at 22 seats, overtaking Likud’s 21. The Globes “poll-of-polls” (July 12) averages Likud at 24 seats and Yashar at 22. Channel 13 (July 8) projects Yashar with 23 seats and Likud with 22. In each case, Yashar’s surge draws heavily from centre-right voters previously aligned with Likud or smaller right-wing lists.

Eisenkot continues rise in polls, overtakes Netanyahu’s Likud for first timeThe Jerusalem PostGlobesThe Jerusalem Posti24NEWS

Israel’s Knesset is slated for dissolution, prompting a rapid legislative push by the current coalition. Earlier attempts by Benny Gantz and Chili Tropper to run on separate lists collapsed below the electoral threshold, creating a vacuum that Yashar has exploited. The “Together” party of Naftali Bennett and Yair Lapid slipped to 18–15 seats in the same surveys, while the Democrats remain steady at 10 seats. New centrist formations such as the Tropper-Hendel alliance and Blue and White failed to cross the threshold in all polls.

The Jerusalem Post

• i24NEWS (July 9, 527 respondents, ±4.2 pp margin): Yashar 21, Likud 29, Democrats 10, Together 9, Shas 9, Yisrael Beiteinu 9, Otzma Yehudit 8, United Torah Judaism 8, Joint List 7, Religious Zionism 5, Ra’am 5.

GlobesThe Jerusalem PostThe Jerusalem PostEisenkot continues rise in polls, overtakes Netanyahu’s Likud for first timei24NEWS

• Jerusalem Post (July 5): Yashar 22, Likud 21, Together 18, Tropper-Hendel 2.9 % (below threshold), Arab parties 11.

The Jerusalem Post

• Globes average (July 12): Likud 24, Yashar 22, Together 15, Democrats 10, Yisrael Beiteinu 9, Shas 8, Otzma Yehudit 8, United Torah Judaism 8, Joint Arab List 6, Religious Zionism 5, Ra’am 4.

GlobesEisenkot continues rise in polls, overtakes Netanyahu’s Likud for first timeThe Jerusalem PostThe Jerusalem Posti24NEWS

• Channel 13 (July 8): Yashar 23, Likud 22, Together 15, Democrats 10, Yisrael Beiteinu 10, Shas 8, United Torah Judaism 8, Otzma Yehudit 8, Hadash-Ta’al 6, Ra’am 5, Religious Zionism 5.

GlobesThe Jerusalem PostEisenkot continues rise in polls, overtakes Netanyahu’s Likud for first timeThe Jerusalem Posti24NEWS

Suitability for prime minister: Eisenkot leads Netanyahu by eight points in the i24NEWS poll (48 % vs 40 %) and by ten points in the Channel 13 poll (46 % vs 36 %).

The Jerusalem Post

The polls diverge on the exact magnitude of Yashar’s lead. i24NEWS shows Likud still ahead in seats, whereas Jerusalem Post, Globes, and Channel 13 place Yashar ahead. No poll provides a definitive projection for coalition formation, and the impact of potential mergers (e.g., Yashar-Together) remains speculative.

Globes

If Yashar continues to draw centre-right votes, the Netanyahu bloc could shrink to 49–53 seats, below the 61-seat majority required to govern. Opposition blocs—including Yashar, Together, Democrats, and Arab parties—collectively reach 67–70 seats in most aggregations, but the non-Arab opposition alone falls short of a majority. Scenarios modeled in the Jerusalem Post poll suggest that a Yashar-Together merger would yield 39 seats, while an Eisenkot-led merger with Together could secure 63 seats for the Zionist opposition, reshaping the balance of power.

Eisenkot continues rise in polls, overtakes Netanyahu’s Likud for first time

The i24NEWS poll was conducted by Direct Polls Ltd., headed by Tzuriel Sharon, using a digital survey system combined with an online panel. The same poll asked respondents about the Netanyahu-Trump relationship: 52 % of coalition supporters believe the two leaders are still acting in full coordination, while 68 % of opposition supporters say each leader now prioritises his own country’s interests. Across the full sample, 51 % attribute the leaders’ actions to domestic interests, and 32 % maintain they remain fully coordinated.

i24NEWSThe Jerusalem PostThe Jerusalem PostEisenkot continues rise in polls, overtakes Netanyahu’s Likud for first time

Opposition respondents express skepticism toward the perceived coordination between Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump, indicating a growing perception that each leader is pursuing separate national agendas. This view contrasts with the 32 % of the overall sample that still sees the leaders as fully aligned.

i24NEWS

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Globes

The divergent poll results underscore a fluid electoral landscape in which Eisenkot’s Yashar party has emerged as the principal challenger to Likud, potentially redefining coalition calculations ahead of Israel’s upcoming elections.

Eisenkot continues rise in polls, overtakes Netanyahu’s Likud for first time