A new survey published Friday by Maariv shows that Likud’s support declines in scenarios where Bennett runs, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bloc continues to fall short of a parliamentary majority. Yair Golan’s Democrats are gaining momentum in the polls, regardless of whether former prime minister Naftali Bennett enters the political race.
The poll, conducted by the Lazar Research Institute, indicates that Golan’s party is recovering from a dip the previous week. The Democrats are projected to win nine seats if Bennett forms a new party, or 13 seats if he does not—up from 12 in the previous poll.
In a scenario in which Bennett leads a new political list, he would receive 28 seats, maintaining his previous standing. In that case, Likud would drop to 19 seats, while Yesh Atid and Yisrael Beytenu would each fall to 10. Otzma Yehudit and United Torah Judaism would remain unchanged at eight seats each.
Under this configuration, the Netanyahu-led coalition would hold 44 seats, and the opposition—Bennett included—would command 66. The Arab parties, Ra’am and Hadash-Ta’al, would receive a combined 10 seats.
If Bennett does not run, Likud would rise to 23 seats, National Unity would receive 16, and Yesh Atid would fall to 14. The Democrats would increase to 13, while Shas and Otzma Yehudit would remain at nine. United Torah Judaism would gain one seat, reaching eight. In this scenario, the coalition would hold 49 seats, while the opposition—excluding Arab parties—would rise to 61.
Public split over Zini appointment
The poll also asked respondents about the appointment of Maj.-Gen. David Zini as head of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency). The question centers on a legal dispute: Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara has argued that Netanyahu is barred from making senior law enforcement appointments due to a conflict of interest. According to the poll, 42% of Israelis support the attorney-general’s position, while 40% side with Netanyahu. Another 18% said they did not know.
Breakdown by political affiliation:
- 86% of coalition supporters back Netanyahu
- 72% of opposition supporters back the attorney-general
- Among Arab party voters: 66% support the attorney-general, 8% support Netanyahu, and 26% are undecided
The poll was conducted May 28–29, 2025, based on a representative sample of 500 Israeli adults. The margin of error is ±4.4%.
