Israel's Likud faces internal crisis as Netanyahu's grip weakens and Bennett mounts centrist challenge

A recent online poll among Likud supporters suggests the party would fall to fewer than 20 Knesset seats if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were removed, with about 70 % of respondents believing the party could not exceed 20 seats without him. The poll reflects growing concerns that Likud has become an extension of Netanyahu rather than an independent ideological force, and internal disputes over electoral list “armor” guarantees are intensifying ahead of the October elections.

At the same time, former Netanyahu protégé Naftali Bennett has re‑emerged as his most serious rival. Bennett is campaigning on a centrist platform that promises a government free of extremist influence and is positioning himself for a return to power in the upcoming legislative vote.

Both developments underscore deep fragmentation within Israeli politics and set the stage for a highly unpredictable election season.