Ceasefire Deepens Netanyahu’s Unpopularity Across Occupied Territories

Ceasefires in Iran and Lebanon wars without tangible gains fuel public backlash, boosting opposition dominance and eroding confidence in Netanyahu’s leadership.

Palestine, PUREWILAYAH.COM — The ceasefire in the wars with Iran and Lebanon, achieved without any tangible gains, has triggered a surge of public backlash among Zionist settlers against Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to a report by Tasnim News Agency, the latest poll conducted by the Zionist newspaper Maariv presents a clear picture of public opinion across the occupied territories, indicating the consolidation of Netanyahu’s political failure.

Maariv, known for its centrist political orientation, conducts weekly public opinion polls and is considered among the more credible polling sources in Israel. The survey shows that the ceasefires in both the Iran war and the Lebanon front have further intensified public anger toward Netanyahu’s cabinet.

Seat Distribution: Opposition Maintains Lead

In terms of parliamentary seat distribution—the core of political competition—the anti-Netanyahu bloc (Zionist opposition) has, for the third consecutive week, maintained a parliamentary majority with 61 seats in the Knesset.

Notably, the level of dissatisfaction with Netanyahu’s coalition is so high that opposition parties have secured a majority even without relying on the 10 seats held by the Arab parties Ra’am and Hadash-Ta’al. In contrast, the ruling coalition led by Netanyahu holds only 49 seats.

Prior to the Ramadan war, credible polls placed the ruling coalition between 50 and 52 seats. However, expectations among Zionist society for a decisive military victory against Iran surged at the outset of the war.

The failure to achieve declared objectives—including overthrowing the Islamic Republic, inflicting severe damage on its governance, and crippling its nuclear and missile programs—has led to widespread disappointment and frustration.

This disillusionment has reached a level where the coalition’s current standing is worse than its position before February 28.

The gap between the two blocs now stands at approximately 12 seats—equivalent to around 500,000 votes, or about 10 percent of the electorate.

Historically, war has served as a unifying factor among Zionists, often temporarily suppressing internal dissent. However, the ruling coalition now finds itself in a significantly weakened position despite the outbreak of conflict.

Likud vs. Bennett

The Likud Party, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which held 27 seats at the start of the war, has dropped to 25 seats for the third consecutive week. While a loss of two seats may appear minor, in wartime—when ruling parties typically gain support—it signals notable dissatisfaction with Netanyahu’s performance.

In contrast, the “Bennett 2026” party, led by Naftali Bennett, has risen from 21 seats at the start of the war to 24 seats. This three-seat gain during wartime reflects Bennett’s growing appeal as an alternative to Netanyahu. With prior experience as prime minister and a strong military-security background, Bennett has positioned himself as a credible option during crisis conditions.

Following these two parties, the “Yeshar” party led by former army chief Gadi Eisenkot holds 12 seats. The Haredi party Shas, led by Aryeh Deri, “Yisrael Beiteinu” led by Avigdor Lieberman, and the left-leaning “Democrats” led by Yair Golan each secure 9 seats.

The “Jewish Power” party led by Itamar Ben-Gvir holds 8 seats, while “Yesh Atid” led by Yair Lapid and the Haredi “United Torah Judaism” each receive 7 seats.

Among Arab factions, the Hadash-Ta’al alliance led by Ayman Odeh secures 5 seats, while Ra’am, led by Mansour Abbas, also holds 5 seats.

Suitability for Prime Minister

The poll also assessed the perceived suitability of leading candidates for the premiership.

At the beginning of the Ramadan war, Netanyahu’s advantage over Bennett increased by around 10 percent. However, following the ceasefire, Bennett has significantly closed the gap. Netanyahu now leads narrowly with 43 percent compared to Bennett’s 41 percent.

In a matchup against Gadi Eisenkot, Netanyahu leads 45 percent to 38 percent. Against Lieberman, he maintains a wider lead of 48 percent to 29 percent.

The ceasefire on both the Iran and Lebanon fronts has cast a shadow over Netanyahu and his ruling coalition to the extent that Zionist society no longer takes his claimed military achievements seriously.

Public sentiment is now marked by deep disappointment and frustration with the government’s performance, reinforcing the continued dominance of opposition parties in credible opinion polls. (PW)