Israel: Poll shows significant shifts in the political landscape

A new poll by the Maariv newspaper in Israel indicates significant shifts in the country's political landscape. Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party currently leads with 26 seats, closely followed by Naftali Bennett's right-wing party with 24 seats. A potential joint list between Naftali Bennett and Gadi Eisenkot could secure 32 seats, making it the largest faction in the Knesset. Several established political figures, including Benny Gantz and Bezalel Smotrich, currently struggle to meet the minimum electoral threshold of three percent. Regarding social issues, the survey shows that 65 percent of Israelis support the recruitment of women into combat units under equal criteria. While elections are set for October 2026, they may occur earlier if the government fails to pass the national budget by March.