Conflicting polls place Likud, Zionist Camp in lead

Yedioth Ahronoth survey has Labor-Hatnua beating out ruling party by one seat; Maariv poll gives Likud four-seat edge

Two polls released on Friday were at odds over whether the Likud party or the Zionist Camp list was projected to receive the most seats in the upcoming elections, with a Yedioth Ahronoth poll giving the Labor-Hatnua joint list one mandate more than the ruling party, while a Maariv survey boasted a four-seat advantage for Likud.

In a Yedioth Ahronoth poll of 700 participants, conducted by Midgam Research and Consulting, the Zionist Camp was slated to receive 25 seats, as compared to Likud’s 24. Meanwhile, a Maariv poll gave Likud 26 seats, and the Zionist Camp 22. Recent surveys have indicated that the Likud was making gains over its primary rival, after several weeks of being beat out by the Zionist Camp in the polls.

The Jewish Home party plummeted to 12 mandates in the Yedioth poll and 13 in the Maariv poll, while earlier surveys gave the right-wing party as many as 18 spots.

Both Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party and the United Arab List were projected to receive 12 seats, according to both polls, and Moshe Kahlon’s Kulanu party was expected to receive seven. Meanwhile, Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu placed at five mandates (Maariv) and six seats (Yedioth).

The ultra-Orthodox Shas party was beating out former Shas MK Eli Yishai’s Yachad party in both polls (7-4 in Yedioth, 6-4 in Maariv).

Three election polls published last Thursday night and Friday placed Netanyahu’s Likud one seat ahead of Isaac Herzog and Tzipi Livni’s Zionist Camp. A Haaretz survey on Monday, similarly, gave Likud 25 mandates and the Zionist Camp 23.