Poll reveals political deadlock in Israel, Netanyahu maintains lead as prime ministerial candidate

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - A new opinion poll published Friday indicates that if elections were held today in Israel, neither the ruling coalition nor the opposition would be able to form a government.

A poll conducted by the Lazar Institute, based on a random sample of 501 Israelis with a 4.4% margin of error and published by Maariv, indicated that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc would secure 52 Knesset seats, while the opposition would win 58 out of 120 seats, resulting in a fragmented political landscape.

The poll reveals that Netanyahu's Likud party would lead with 22 seats, followed by the opposition's National Unity party led by Benny Gantz with 20 seats, and Yesh Atid party led by opposition leader Yair Lapid with 15 seats. The Israel Beiteinu party, led by Avigdor Lieberman, would garner 14 seats. The Arab parties are projected to win 10 seats.

For the past three weeks, Netanyahu has maintained his position as the most suitable candidate for prime minister, despite his firm stance on the ongoing war in Gaza and reluctance to engage in prisoner exchange negotiations or cease-fire discussions.

According to the survey, 41% of respondents believe Netanyahu is the most fit for the role, compared to 40% who support Gantz. The remaining 19% were undecided.

The poll results come amid a backdrop of intense tension. On Thursday, an Israeli security delegation arrived in Cairo for cease-fire talks with Gaza, which are expected to resume over the weekend. However, prospects for a successful negotiation are diminishing due to Netanyahu's insistence on continuing military operations and maintaining control over key border areas.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, despite a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire.

The onslaught has resulted in over 40,200 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, and more than 93,000 injuries, according to local health authorities.

The ongoing blockade of Gaza has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, leaving much of the region in ruins.

Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered a halt to military operations in the southern city of Rafah, where over 1 million Palestinians had sought refuge before the area was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi in Ankara