54 seats: Trump advisers eye Israeli opposition if Netanyahu falls

The opposition bloc is now six seats ahead of Netanyahu's bloc in Israel's upcoming election, according to the latest polling data. This shift has led Trump advisers to consider working with Netanyahu's political rivals if he loses the election.

Trump advisers have shown optimism about opportunities to work with Netanyahu's political opposition if he loses the election. One adviser even said Netanyahu is the devil Trump knows.

Vice President JD Vance has remained neutral in the Israeli election, stating that the president's endorsement is ultimately what matters.

Strains within the administration over Israeli policy have also been reported, with US Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack raising concerns about the Netanyahu government's approach to Syria and its continued military operations there.

The latest Maariv poll showed the opposition widening its lead to 54 seats, while Netanyahu's bloc dropped to 48. This has led to speculation that a unity government may be on the horizon.

Sixty percent of respondents in the poll said they would prefer a unity government if the election fails to produce a clear governing majority. Thirty-three percent of those who favored a unity government wanted a candidate from the opposition bloc to lead it, compared with 19% who preferred Netanyahu.

In a head-to-head matchup for prime minister, Eisenkot led Netanyahu with 49% support against 41% for the incumbent.

The latest polling data indicates that Netanyahu's position in the election has weakened, and his bloc now has 48 seats, while the opposition leads by six.