While the polls in Israel have been relatively stagnant, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal standing has faltered. “The minute that Netanyahu's stock seems weak, people will start selling it, and that has begun to happen,” said Haaretz columnist Joshua Leifer, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast.

Joining Leifer on the podcast, Haaretz correspondent Linda Dayan observed that in her conversations with mainstream Israelis who “don’t identify as leftists,” they see a real alternative leader in challenger Gadi Eisenkot. 

“People have said of Netanyahu in the past that there's no one who can replace him, who has the experience and the gravitas that we need. Now, for the first time in a very long time, people are saying it looks like there's someone who can actually do it.”

The two panelists joined host Allison Kaplan Sommer to discuss the debut of new right-wing parties who eschew Netanyahu and their “machinations” attempting to engineer a government coalition that would include the anti-Netanyahu center-right – while excluding Yair Golan’s Democrats Party, and, of course the Arab parties. 

"There is maybe a hope or a fantasy of finding some way of creating a government that excludes Yair Golan and the Democrats, and that closes the door definitively on having a potential Arab party in the coalition,” said Leifer, referring to the right’s growing fear of the prospect of an Eisenkot-led government that includes Mansour Abbas’ United Arab List.

Read more: 

How to Actually Read the Israeli Election Polls

Israel's Opposition Parties Are Courting New Immigrants With a New Set of Priorities

In Haifa, the 'Putin Aliyah' and Despairing Arab Citizens Warn of A Dire Future

Analysis by Joshua Leifer | Eisenkot Keeps Running Away From What Everyone Knows He Believes

Most Israelis Fear Upcoming Election Could Be Compromised, New Poll Finds

While the polls in Israel have been relatively stagnant, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu&rsquo;s personal standing has faltered. &ldquo;The minute that Netanyahu's stock seems weak, people will start selling it, and that has begun to happen,&rdquo; said Haaretz columnist Joshua Leifer, speaking on the Haaretz Podcast.
Joining Leifer on the podcast, Haaretz correspondent Linda Dayan observed that in her conversations with mainstream Israelis who &ldquo;don&rsquo;t identify as leftists,&rdquo; they see a real alternative leader in challenger Gadi Eisenkot.&nbsp;
&ldquo;People have said of Netanyahu in the past that there's no one who can replace him, who has the experience and the gravitas that we need. Now, for the first time in a very long time, people are saying it looks like there's someone who can actually do it.&rdquo;
The two panelists joined host Allison Kaplan Sommer to discuss the debut of new right-wing parties who eschew Netanyahu and their &ldquo;machinations&rdquo; attempting to engineer a government coalition that would include the anti-Netanyahu center-right &ndash; while excluding Yair Golan&rsquo;s Democrats Party, and, of course the Arab parties.&nbsp;
"There is maybe a hope or a fantasy of finding some way of creating a government that excludes Yair Golan and the Democrats, and that closes the door definitively on having a potential Arab party in the coalition,&rdquo; said Leifer, referring to the right&rsquo;s growing fear of the prospect of an Eisenkot-led government that includes Mansour Abbas&rsquo; United Arab List.
Read more:&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-08-09/ty-article-magazine/.premium/how-to-read-the-polls-if-you-really-want-to-get-israels-elections/0000019f-d7ff-dc86-a59f-d7ffe2b80000">How to Actually Read the Israeli Election Polls</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-08-07/ty-article-magazine/.premium/israels-opposition-parties-are-courting-new-immigrants-with-new-priorities/0000019f-d6df-d09d-a59f-f6df60970000">Israel's Opposition Parties Are Courting New Immigrants With a New Set of Priorities</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-06-30/ty-article-magazine/.premium/in-haifa-the-putin-aliyah-and-despairing-arab-citizens-warn-of-a-dire-future/0000019e-ee93-d514-a9bf-fefb2fab0000">In Haifa, the 'Putin Aliyah' and Despairing Arab Citizens Warn of&nbsp;A Dire Future</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-07-31/ty-article-magazine/.premium/eisenkot-keeps-running-away-from-what-everyone-knows-he-believes/0000019f-b7ca-de01-a5bf-f7cacc350000">Analysis by Joshua Leifer | Eisenkot Keeps&nbsp;Running Away From What Everyone Knows He Believes</a>
<a href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/elections/2026-08-09/ty-article/.premium/most-israelis-fear-upcoming-election-could-be-compromised-new-poll-finds/0000019f-e62a-deab-afdf-eeaf63160000">Most Israelis Fear Upcoming Election Could Be Compromised, New Poll Finds</a>

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – a weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.

Your audio guide to Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World.

Haaretz Podcast

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer. 

From Haaretz – Israel's oldest daily newspaper – the Haaretz weekly podcast in English on Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World, hosted by Allison Kaplan Sommer.