Shock Poll: Netanyahu Now Ahead of Gantz

A new poll by Channel 14 and Direct Plus polling shows Benny Gantz's party dropping from its previous highs of 37-40 seats since the war started to just 26 - one below Likud, which received 27.

Per the new poll, Netanyahu's current coalition would receive 57 seats if the elections were held today, while Gantz's center-left coalition would receive just 53. The Arab parties would thus hold the balance of power in the Knesset.

Meanwhile, Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid continues to slide to 12, Avigdor Liberman's hawkish opposition party Yisrael Beiteinu rises to 11 seats, Itamar Ben Gvir's party rises to 9 seats, and Religious Zionism and Meretz both continue to get the minimum of 4 seats in the Knesset.

On the question of who would be better as Prime Minister, too, a reversal has occurred: from October 7 to now, Benny Gantz won the question with voters supporting Gantz in the high 40s and Netanyahu scraping by in the twenties.

Now, Netanyahu is considered a better Prime Minister than Gantz 42-32, and the support for Bibi increases when he is matched against Lapid - 44-28.