In August, Trump told FOX News that he "may endorse somebody" in the upcoming Israeli election, though he conceded it would be "most appropriate for me to stay out of it."Follow us on GoogleUS President Donald J. Trump makes an announcement on healthcare in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, US, September 18, 2026.(photo credit: REUTERS/Evan Vucci)ByJERUSALEM POST STAFFSEPTEMBER 23, 2026 18:31

US President Donald Trump shared a Newsmax article about a recent Channel 13 election poll projecting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc to win 54 seats in the upcoming elections, in a Wednesday post to Truth Social.

According to the poll, Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar led with 22 seats, while Netanyahu’s Likud fell to a low of 18.

Despite this, the Netanyahu bloc strengthened to 54 seats, compared with 52 for the change bloc.

In August, Trump told FOX News that he "may endorse somebody" in the upcoming Israeli election, though he conceded it would be "most appropriate for me to stay out of it."

Trump's comments to FOX followed reports across Israeli media that figures close to Netanyahu's main political rivals, including Gadi Eisenkot and Naftali Bennett, have in recent months conveyed messages to Trump’s associates through acquaintances, donors, and political allies, asking him to remain neutral in the election.

US President Donald Trump shared Newsmax article on a Channel 13 election poll showing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc in the lead, September 23, 2026. (credit: SCREENSHOT/TRUTH SOCIAL)

The comments also follow an Axios report noting that Trump questioned the prime minister on the Likud's position in the polls during the latter's late July visit to Washington.

Israel's elections are slated for October 27.

Where does Netanyahu's bloc actually stand in recent polling? 

Five election polls published last week, however, showed a divided political landscape, with Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar holding a slight advantage over Likud at the party level, but with no clear outcome between the blocs.

A KAN News poll showed Eisenkot’s party leading with 24 seats, while Netanyahu's Likud dropped to 20. According to KAN, the balance between the blocs remained inconclusive, with 52 seats on each side, leaving neither with a majority to form a government.

Yashar continued to lead in the Channel 12 poll with 23 seats, down two from the previous survey. Netanyahu’s Likud also weakened, losing one seat to reach 20. As such, the bloc opposed to Netanyahu fell by two seats to 66, including 54 seats for Zionist parties and 12 for Arab parties.

While other polls left the political system deadlocked or showed a slight advantage for the bloc opposed to Netanyahu, the Channel 14 poll presented a different picture, with 64 seats for the right-wing bloc.

Channel 16 polling showed the Netanyahu bloc at 52 seats, compared with 53 for the opposition.

Eisenkot leads polling average, Netanyahu close behind

Across the five polls, Eisenkot’s Yashar averaged 22.2 seats, ahead of Likud’s 21.2.

The bloc picture remained inconclusive. The Netanyahu bloc, including People of Israel, averaged 54.4 seats, compared with 51 for the Zionist opposition parties.

Maariv contributed to this report.

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