Poll: If elections held today, Likud would be largest party but Netanyahu wouldn’t be able to form coalition

If elections were held today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party would remain the largest faction in the Knesset. However, his right-wing religious bloc would fall well below the majority needed to form a coalition, a Channel 12 news poll shows.

The results for each party are as follows:

Likud (25), National Unity (19), Yesh Atid (16), Yisrael Beytenu (13); The Democrats (11), Shas (9), Otzma Yehudit (9), United Torah Judaism (8), Hadash-Ta’al (5), and Ra’am (5), Religious Zionism (0) and New Hope (0).

The pro-Netanyahu bloc would have 51 seats, while the anti-Netanyahu bloc would have 64 seats — not including Hadash-Ta’al’s five seats.

If former prime minister Naftali Bennett were to re-enter politics and run as the head of his own party, as expected, the results would be as follows.

Likud (23), Bennett’s party (22) National Unity (11), Yesh Atid (11), Yisrael Beytenu (8); The Democrats (10), Shas (9), Otzma Yehudit (8), United Torah Judaism (8), Hadash-Ta’al (5), and Ra’am (5), Religious Zionism (0) and New Hope (0).

Asked who they prefer for premier in a head-to-head matchup, 39 percent of respondents said Netanyahu, compared to 29 percent who said National Unity chair Benny Gantz.

When pitted against Yesh Atid chair Yair Lapid, 40% said Netanyahu, compared to 27% who said Lapid.

When Netanyahu was pitted against Bennett, respondents were evenly split at 37%.