Ceasefire with Iran fuels Netanyahu’s popularity
Ceasefire with Iran fuels Netanyahu’s popularity
Results of a new survey released by Israel’s Channel 12 following the announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel show that the popularity of the Likud party, led by Benjamin Netanyahu, has been on the rise.
In Israeli public opinion, there is a common view that their country had the upper hand in the recent military confrontation with Iran, especially in striking its nuclear facilities, and that victory belonged to Israel.
The survey also indicates that if elections were held now, the Likud party would lead the race with 26 seats in the parliament.
Netanyahu’s main rival, former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, would secure 24 seats, and Yair Golan, leader of the left-wing Democratic Party, would come in third with 12 seats.
Channel 12, considered one of Israel’s most popular evening news networks, has reported that according to the survey results, the Yesh Atid party led by Yair Lapid, the Shas party led by Aryeh Deri, and the Yisrael Beiteinu party led by Avigdor Lieberman would each secure 9 seats.
Following them, the United Torah Judaism party with 8 seats, the National Unity party led by Benny Gantz with 7 seats, and the far-right Otzma Yehudit party led by Itamar Ben Gvir with 6 seats are positioned in the chart.
According to the survey data, the two Israeli Arab parties, Hadash-Ta’al and the Joint Arab List, also known by the Hebrew name Ra’am, would each gain 5 seats. Meanwhile, the Religious Zionism party led by Bezalel Smotrich and the Balad party failed to pass the threshold needed to enter the Knesset, securing just over two percent of the vote.
Possibility of early elections
While these results have been published, Netanyahu’s popularity has significantly increased following the recent conflict with Iran, a phenomenon that is common in Israeli politics after major military operations. This has sparked discussions about the possibility of early elections in media and political circles.
Channel 12 analysts consider Netanyahu’s increased field activities and visits to electoral areas as signs of preparation for potential elections.
The Israeli Prime Minister has also visited areas damaged by missile attacks and met with citizens affected by the conflict with Iran.
Channel 12’s survey results show that nearly half of the people support holding immediate elections, while 42 percent prefer elections to be held as previously scheduled in October 2026.
The television network announced that the results of this survey closely resemble another survey conducted about two weeks ago, coinciding with the start of the clashes between Israel and Iran.
According to Channel 12’s report, the public has a positive view of David Barnea, the head of Mossad, and Eyal Zamir, the Chief of Staff of the Israeli Army.
Approximately 49 percent of participants supported the ceasefire with Iran, while 39 percent opposed it, and 12 percent had no specific opinion.
Regarding the evaluation of the war’s outcome, 63 percent believed that Israel was the victor, while only 3 percent considered Iran as the winner. 26 percent believed that neither side had gained superiority, and 8 percent stated they had no opinion on the matter.
The survey also showed that in response to the question of who is more qualified to lead the country, Netanyahu ranked first with 38 percent support, with Naftali Bennett closely behind at 35 percent.
In a similar survey conducted last December by the public broadcasting company Kan, during the Gaza war and developments related to the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad in Syria, the Likud party also topped the list of parties.
