{
  "id": 13045505,
  "title": "Coalition, opposition tie at 52 seats as Netanyahu's Likud gets closer to Eisenkot's Yashar - poll",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/coalition-opposition-tie-at-52-seats-as-netanyahus-likud-gets-closer",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-09T06:20:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Jerusalem Post",
    "slug": "jerusalem-post",
    "url": "https://www.jpost.com/israel-election-2026/article-911139"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As the third anniversary of the October 7 massacre approaches, a new Maariv poll reveals a tight race in Israel's Knesset election. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party and opposition bloc are neck-and-neck, each securing 52 seats. The poll, conducted by Lazar Research, shows Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party leading the opposition with 21 seats, followed closely by Likud with 20 and B'yachad with 13. Netanyahu's Likud gains one seat, while the opposition loses one. The Arab parties maintain their 12 seats, while the Religious Zionist Party gains a seat. 78% of respondents are certain to vote in the upcoming elections, with opposition supporters showing greater intent to vote (86% certain) compared to coalition supporters (81% certain). When asked to choose a prime minister, Yashar chairman Gadi Eisenkot maintains a six-point lead over Netanyahu, with 46% support compared to Netanyahu's 40%. The gap narrows slightly when comparing Bennett to Netanyahu, with Bennett at 44% and Netanyahu at 42%. Despite this, 59% of Israelis oppose an Arab party joining the next coalition, while 53% support including a haredi party.",
  "summary": "The opposition bloc lost one seat after the Democrats dropped by one mandate, while the other parties in the bloc remained unchanged.",
  "key_points": [
    "Netanyahu's Likud and opposition parties tied at 52 seats each",
    "Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party leads opposition with 21 seats",
    "78% of respondents certain to vote in upcoming elections"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The new poll showing Likud and the opposition bloc tied at 52 seats each suggests a shift in momentum for Likud as it gains ground on opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Haaretz",
        "title": "Israel's feckless opposition fails to capitalize on Netanyahu coalition blunders",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/israels-feckless-opposition-fails-to-capitalize-on-netanyahu",
        "published": "2026-10-09T03:00:16.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}