Who Will Succeed Netanyahu? A Three-Way Battle Ignites Change in Israel

Three political figures in Israel have launched their election campaigns, united by a common goal of replacing the current government, yet each individual desires to lead it, ahead of the Israeli elections.

The Israeli Channel 12 reported that the collective effort of the campaigns of Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, and Avigdor Liberman in the Israeli elections has turned into a solo race for the position of Prime Minister.

Latest opinion polls in Israel indicate that the opposition bloc remains far from the 61-seat threshold, while the internal conflict among the three contenders for leadership negatively affects the overall campaign.

Israeli Elections: Who Will Lead?

Regarding who leads the bloc, the picture is clear among opposition supporters: 59% of respondents believe Gadi Eisenkot is the actual leader, compared to 19% who see Naftali Bennett as the leader, and only 11% considering Avigdor Liberman the leading figure.

The poll revealed that 53% of Israelis believe Eisenkot is best suited to become Prime Minister, followed by Bennett at 31%, and Liberman last at 13%.

The three-way race raises concerns among voters; 52% of opposition supporters stated that the rivalry among the three candidates harms the bloc’s chances of winning, while 38% believe otherwise.

When asked about the criterion that should determine the candidate in the Israeli elections, 65% of participants said “securing the highest number of parliamentary seats” should be decisive, compared to just 25% who considered “political experience” the most important factor.

Opinions varied on when the opposition parties should announce a candidate to succeed Benjamin Netanyahu: 37% of supporters want the announcement made now, while 34% prefer waiting until closer to the election date. Only 17% of respondents said they do not wish to know this at the current stage.

The survey also explored opinions among Netanyahu supporters regarding a scenario where the opposition bloc wins a majority. In this group, Eisenkot led with 25% support, followed by Bennett at 13%, then Liberman at 10%.

However, the most striking figure among Netanyahu supporters is that 52% admitted they do not know which of the three candidates they prefer to lead the country as Prime Minister.

Despite internal debates over candidate selection, the central question at this stage remains whether Eisenkot, Bennett, and Liberman can attract new voters outside their bloc.

The ultimate test for these three will be their ability to return to collaborative work against Netanyahu, striving to achieve the shared goal they set for themselves from the beginning.