Israeli polls split on 2026 Knesset election possibilities, as Yashar, Likud vie for primacy – poll

Five Israeli polls released Wednesday night, following the closing of Knesset 2026 party lists, presented a fragmented political landscape. Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party emerged as the largest in four of the five polls, while an i24NEWS poll uniquely placed Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud in the lead with 27 seats, stating, "Likud leads with 27 seats." Ofer Winter's party consistently crossed the electoral threshold in all surveys. The bloc map remains unclear, with two polls showing a tie between Netanyahu's bloc and the Zionist opposition, while others indicate an advantage for the Zionist opposition, except for the i24NEWS poll where Netanyahu's bloc strengthened. Averaging the five polls, Yashar leads with 23.6 seats, slightly ahead of Likud's 21.8 seats, with the two main blocs effectively tied at 53.6 seats for Netanyahu's bloc and 53.4 for the Zionist opposition.