Eisenkot leads Netanyahu 43% to 38% as preferred prime minister, but KAN poll gives neither bloc the 61 seats needed to govern after Oct. 27 vote

Former Israeli army chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot leads Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a poll on who is better suited to serve as prime minister, while projections leave both political blocs short of a Knesset majority. The KAN survey, released ahead of Israel’s October 27 election, puts Eisenkot at 43% and Netanyahu at 38%.

The poll projects 22 seats for Eisenkot’s Yashar party and 20 for Netanyahu’s Likud in the 120-member Knesset. Netanyahu’s bloc is forecast to win 53 seats and Eisenkot’s 50, with neither reaching the 61 needed for a majority. Thirty percent of respondents said they were undecided about which party to support, 21% were considering not voting, and 54% supported a televised debate between the two leaders.