Gantz Restores Lead as Netanyahu Loses Post-Gaza War Bump: Poll

The poll placed the parties that made up the previous unity coalition in a comfortable lead ahead of the Netanyahu-led current ruling bloc — 63 to 53 in the 120-member Knesset [the Zionist entity’s parliament].

‘National Unity,’ which won 12 Knesset seats in last November’s election, slowly gained on the 32-seat Likud in recent months amid widespread dismay over the government’s effort to radically overhaul the judiciary. The boom for Gantz’s party also appeared to come at the expense of Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid, which sits just to its left on the political spectrum and has taken a more hardline stance in its opposition to the overhaul and more strict conditions for a compromise with the coalition on the matter.

Support for Gantz appeared to peak last month in the weeks that followed Netanyahu’s decision to temporarily pause the overhaul and engage in negotiations with the opposition for a compromise, which have yet to bear fruit. ‘National Unity’ received as many as 30 seats in some late April polls, while Likud’s seat count dropped to as low as 22.

The trend appeared to reverse during and immediately after the May 9 to 13 aggression dubbed ‘Shield and Arrow’ launched by the Zionist military during which it assassinated several Islamic Jihad top military commanders.

Polls after the war indicated that Likud had managed to close the gap against ‘National Unity’ and respondents said they preferred Netanyahu over Gantz as premier when the two were matched up head-to-head.

But Tuesday’s Channel 12 survey indicated that public dissatisfaction with the government’s performance remains.

The Zionist entity is not currently in an election period and the next scheduled vote is slated for the end of 2026 — though it could come at any time if the government falls. Nevertheless, such polls — which are not necessarily reliable — are often said to exert great influence on politicians and parties.

The latest survey found that if elections were held today, ‘National Unity’ would receive 28 seats — two more than the 26 Likud would receive.