Recent Political Developments in Israel: Likud and Coalition Gain Seats
In the midst of a series of significant political events in Israel, the Likud party and the coalition are making gains this week, according to a new poll conducted by “Maariv.” The poll, conducted by Lazar Research and led by Dr. Menachem Lazar in collaboration with Panel4All, shows that Likud has increased from 17 to 19 seats, while the current coalition has gone from 44 to 46 seats.
The poll also indicates a shift in the public’s perception of the government’s efforts regarding the release of kidnapped individuals. According to the survey, 42% believe that the government is working with full vigor for the return of the abductees, compared to 39% who believe that it has slowed down. Among the coalition parties, 65% believe that the government is acting on the issue with all its might, while among the opposition parties, 58% believe that it has slowed down on the matter.
In terms of leadership suitability, Benjamin Netanyahu has strengthened by 2% this week to 34%, narrowing the gap with Benny Gantz who continues to lead by a considerable margin of 14%. When asked who is more suitable to serve as prime minister, Benny Gantz received 48% and Netanyahu 34%. The segmentation shows that among Likud voters, Netanyahu wins 64% and Gantz win 21%. Among the voters of the state camp, Gantz wins 98%. Among Yesh Atid voters, Gantz gets 90%, while Netanyahu gets 1%.
The survey, conducted on January 3-4 with 519 respondents, represents a representative sample of the adult population in Israel aged 18 and over, Jews and Arabs, with a maximum sampling error of 4.3%.
These developments come in the wake of the assassination of senior Hamas official Saleh al-Arouri and the two dramatic rulings of the High Court of Justice, which invalidated the reduction of the reason for reasonableness and determined that the fortification law will only be valid from the next term of the Knesset. The political landscape in Israel is rapidly evolving, and more shifts are expected in the coming days.