A new Maariv poll shows the opposition poised to form a government with 62 seats, as Netanyahu’s coalition continues to lose ground.

A new public opinion poll published Friday indicates that Israel’s opposition parties continue to hold a lead over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition for the second consecutive week, increasing their chances of forming a government if elections were held today.

According to the poll, published by the Israeli newspaper Maariv, the anti-Netanyahu bloc would secure 62 seats in the 120-member Knesset, while the ruling coalition would receive just 48 seats. 

Arab parties would claim 10 seats, positioning the opposition with enough support to potentially form a majority government.

Netanyahu’s Likud, however, remains the largest single party with 23 seats. It is followed by the right-wing opposition party Yisrael Beiteinu, led by Avigdor Lieberman, with 18 seats. Benny Gantz’s State Camp and Yair Golan’s Democrats each receive 16 seats, while Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid garners 12.

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In contrast, the governing bloc shows weaker performance: the far-right Jewish Power party, led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Shas each receive 9 seats, United Torah Judaism gets 7, while the Arab List for Change and the Democratic Front each secure 5. The United Arab List also gains 5 seats. Notably, Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism party fails to cross the electoral threshold.

Despite the opposition’s growing lead, early elections remain unlikely, as Netanyahu continues to reject the idea while the genocidal war on Gaza persists.

The poll also asked respondents which leader they believed was most committed to securing the release of Israeli prisoners. Netanyahu led with 48%, followed by former US President Donald Trump with 41%. 12 % were reportedly undecided.

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Last week, a similar Maariv poll showed Netanyahu’s government hitting a new low in popularity, particularly after the Ansarallah strike on Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport. That survey also gave the opposition 62 seats to the coalition’s 48.

The dip in support comes as Israel steps up its military operations in Gaza, drawing growing criticism both domestically and abroad. 

Families of Israeli prisoners currently held in Gaza have expressed concern that the continued bombardment endangers their loved ones, while international condemnation intensifies over Israel’s actions and the worsening famine in the besieged enclave.

(PC, AJA)