For now, little appears capable of altering Israeli voting intentions. Neither the way the war with Iran and Hezbollah came to an end, nor the events surrounding Remembrance Day and the 78th Independence Day celebrations, have significantly moved public opinion. Most voters remain firmly in place, with only minor fluctuations occurring within the blocs themselves. These findings come from a Maariv survey conducted by Lazar Research, headed by Dr. Menachem Lazar, in cooperation with Panel4All.
Still, for the first time since June 26, 2025, Likud and Naftali Bennett’s party, Bennett 2026, are running neck and neck. At the start of Operation Roaring Lion, Likud held a six-seat lead over Bennett. Since then, however, Likud has lost three seats while Bennett has gained three. This marks a notable change from previous surveys, in which Likud held a clear lead, indicating growing momentum for Bennett among the right-wing electorate.
Behind them, Yesh Atid stands at 12 seats, while Shas, Yisrael Beytenu, the Democrats, and Otzma Yehudit each receive 9 mandates. United Torah Judaism and National Unity follow with 7 seats each, and Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am round out the list with 5 seats apiece. Several parties, including Religious Zionism and Blue and White, remain below the electoral threshold.
Despite changes in party rankings, the bloc balance remains unchanged. The opposition bloc holds 61 seats, compared to 49 for the coalition, with Arab parties accounting for an additional 10 mandates. The data highlights a stable overall map, but with internal shifts, most notably Likud losing its position as the largest party.
Divisions within the political system are also reflected in public attitudes toward the Independence Day torch-lighting ceremony. According to the poll, nearly half of Israelis (44%) believe this year’s ceremony was political, about one-third (32%) say it was state-oriented, and 24% are unsure.
A similar split appears over US President Donald Trump’s decision to extend the ceasefire to await Iran’s response. Close to half of respondents (42%) tend to view the move as a mistake, while roughly a quarter (28%) consider it the right decision. Another 30% said they did not know.
The survey was conducted on April 23 among 502 respondents, representing a sample of Israel’s adult population aged 18 and over, including both Jews and Arabs. The maximum margin of error stands at 4.4%.
Source:
www.jpost.com
