Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud is trailing former Israel Defence Forces (IDF) chief Gadi Eisenkot’s opposition Yashar party ahead of the October 27 parliamentary elections, according to a pre-election survey, raising the prospect of a setback for the veteran leader.Although neither side is projected to secure a majority in the 120-seat Knesset, Eisenkot’s Yashar is expected to win 25 seats—four more than Netanyahu’s Likud—if elections were held today, according to a poll published by The Times of Israel’s Hebrew sister site, Zman Yisrael.Overall, the poll showed little change in the projected strength of the pro- and anti-Netanyahu blocs. Netanyahu’s opponents are projected to win 58 seats, three short of a majority, while parties backing him are projected to secure 50 seats.Behind the two leading parties, the center-right B’Yachad won 13 seats in the Zman Yisrael poll, followed by the hawkish Yisrael Beytenu with 11 and the left-wing Democrats with nine. All three are part of the anti-Netanyahu bloc.They were followed by a string of pro-Netanyahu parties. The Haredi factions Shas and United Torah Judaism would each win eight seats, while the far-right Otzma Yehudit and Religious Zionism would take seven and six, respectively.
Trump stops short of endorsing Netanyahu
In another setback for Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump stopped short of endorsing him during the Israeli premier’s July 28 visit to the White House.According to Axios, Trump described Netanyahu as his “own worst enemy” and asked about his prospects in the upcoming election, including how he was performing in opinion polls. When Netanyahu hesitated, one of his aides interjected: “Mr. President, he is winning.”An official told Axios that Netanyahu’s weak standing in pre-election polls was partly why Trump had, “so far,” refrained from endorsing him.The report also said that while Trump remains personally fond of Netanyahu, the Republican president has grown “frustrated” with some of the Israeli leader’s recent policies and decisions, particularly regarding Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza.Trump has previously and repeatedly urged Israel’s president to “fully pardon” Netanyahu or halt the corruption trial against him. Netanyahu is seeking a fourth term in office in elections scheduled for October.
Israel’s Shin Beit weighs providing Eisenkot with security detail
Meanwhile, with Eisenkot increasingly emerging as Netanyahu’s leading challenger, Shin Bet, Israel’s internal security agency, is reportedly weighing whether to provide him with an armed security detail, despite the former IDF chief not being entitled to state protection because he is not considered a “symbol of the state.”Shin Bet chief David Zini was considering the move as the election campaign intensifies and amid indications that Iran has stepped up efforts to target Israeli leaders.Alternatively, Zini could seek to arrange protection for Eisenkot through the IDF or the Knesset Guard, according to the report.In June, Eisenkot’s field director wrote to Zini saying the Yashar leader had been forced to hire private bodyguards. According to reports, those guards are unarmed.The letter warned that Eisenkot would be “particularly exposed” as the campaign gathers pace, noting that the Yashar leader regularly makes public appearances whose details are announced in advance.
