According to a poll published this Friday by the newspaper Maariv, the current ruling coalition would win 48 seats out of a total of 120 seats in the Knesset (Parliament).

The Likud, Netanyahu’s formation, would lose 11 seats by going from 32 to 21, research highlighted, while the new group of former head of government Naftali Bennett would conquer 23 to become the main force in the hemicycle.

The opposition would win 72 seats: 61 for the Jewish parties and 11 for the Arab and left-wing parties.

All national polls confirm the decline in popularity of the coalition government, the most right-wing in the country’s history, where large demonstrations against the war in Gaza, the economic situation and other unpopular measures such as a controversial judicial reform are reported.

Although officially the ultra-orthodox parties Shas and Judaism United by the Torah abandoned Netanyahu’s coalition recently in practice did not add their votes to the opposition, which gave the besieged prime minister a break.

In recent months, there has been a rise in speculation in the national press about an early call for elections due to internal disputes within the ruling alliance.

The main point of friction is the proposed changes to a new conscription law, strongly opposed by ultra-orthodox parties because it would force young people from this sector of the population to perform compulsory military service.

Lay forces from across the national political spectrum are backing the plan in the face of a pressing army shortage, amid a multi-pronged war launched by Netanyahu.

abo/otf/rob