A new poll reveals a slight decline in support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition, following his decision to dismiss Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The survey, conducted by Israel’s Channel 12, also indicates widespread opposition to Gallant’s firing.

If elections were held today, Netanyahu’s Likud party would secure 25 seats, a drop of one seat from last week’s Channel 12 poll. Benny Gantz’s National Unity party would gain 20 seats, while Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid would receive 15 seats.

Other projected results show Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu with 13 seats, the left-wing Democrats (a unified bloc of Labor and Meretz under Yair Golan) with 11, Shas with 10, United Torah Judaism with eight, and far-right Otzma Yehudit, led by Itamar Ben Gvir, also with eight seats. The Arab-majority parties Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am would each secure five seats.

The poll also shows that some parties would fail to cross the electoral threshold, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism, newly appointed Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s New Hope, and the Arab Balad party.

In total, Netanyahu’s current coalition would receive 51 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, down significantly from its present 68-seat majority.

The survey finds that 55% of Israelis disapprove of Gallant’s dismissal, while 32% support it, with 13% expressing no opinion. Additionally, half of the respondents believe Gallant’s claim that he was removed for opposing a bill to enshrine military draft exemptions for Charedim, while 39% accept Netanyahu’s explanation of professional disagreements.

The poll also gauged public opinion on the recent U.S. presidential election, with 67% of Israelis expressing satisfaction over Donald Trump’s victory, while 18% were unhappy and 15% were undecided.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)