Since the start of Operation Roaring Lion, speculation has grown that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could consider advancing elections in order to capitalize on the war’s achievements so far.
However, the latest polling suggests such a move might not yield major political gains. For now, the war does not appear to have substantially altered Israeli voting patterns.
Within the opposition bloc, the most notable shift this week was a drop in support for Yair Lapid, whose party fell by two seats to six. In contrast, Naftali Bennett gained momentum, adding two seats.
Gadi Eisenkot, who has steadily gained support in recent weeks, maintained the peak he reached last week with 14 seats. Meanwhile, the Democrats weakened slightly, losing one seat amid continued volatility across the opposition bloc.
Overall, the opposition bloc declined by one seat this week to 59 mandates, while the coalition bloc rose by one seat to 51.
Hadash-Ta’al and Ra’am remained unchanged with five seats each. Blue and White (2%), the Reservists (2.8%), Religious Zionism (2.8%), and Balad (1.6%) all fall below the electoral threshold.
Unlike during Operation Guardian of the Walls, when Likud surged by four seats in the first week of the operation, the party has gained only one seat this time, mirroring the coalition bloc’s overall increase of one seat.
The survey also indicates a high level of public confidence in Israel’s military leadership.
Israel largely trusts Air Force comm., chief of staff
A large majority of Israelis (81%) say they trust Air Force commander Maj.-Gen. Tomer Bar. Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir also enjoys broad support, with 79% expressing confidence in his handling of the war against Iran.
US President Donald Trump also receives strong public backing, with 72% of Israelis saying they trust him in this context.
Netanyahu himself enjoys relatively strong public confidence, with 60% of Israelis saying they trust him to manage the war.
The results also highlight a clear political divide. Among coalition voters, 94% say they trust Netanyahu’s leadership during the war, compared with 61% among opposition voters.
The poll further shows that most Israelis believe the war with Iran will end positively. Forty percent think it will conclude with a clear victory that includes regime change, while 39% believe it will not end in a decisive victory but will still bring significant achievements.
Another 10% expect only partial achievements, while 11% say they do not know.
The findings come from a Maariv poll conducted by the Lazar Research Institute, headed by Dr. Menachem Lazar, in cooperation with Panel4All.
The survey was conducted March 4–5 among 500 respondents representing a sample of Israel’s adult population aged 18 and over, including both Jews and Arabs. The margin of error is 4.4%.
