Likud-Beytenu declines to 33 seats in new poll

Yedioth shows narrowing of gap between right and center-left, while Maariv poll has right-wing parties holding strong

The combined list of Likud and Yisrael Beytenu, which only a few weeks ago was projected to win more than 40 seats in the upcoming general elections, fell to 33 seats in a poll released by Yedioth Ahronoth Friday. A separate poll commissioned by Maariv and published Friday showed the party staying strong at 37 seats.

Yedioth’s survey, conducted by Dahaf, showed the right-wing bloc with just a 4-seat advantage over the center-left parties running in next month’s election.

The poll gives Labor 17 seats; Jewish Home 12 seats; and Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid, Tzipi Livni’s Hatnua, and Shas all tied at 11.

The poll questioned 1,250 people. Its margin of error was 3 percentage points.

Maariv’s poll, conducted by Maagar Mochot, gives Likud-Beytenu 37 seats, Labor 18 seats, Jewish Home 13 seats, with Shas (11), Hatnua (9) and Yesh Atid (8) rounding out the top of the list.

That poll questioned 491 people, with a margin of error of 4.5 percentage points.

Kadima, currently the largest party in the Knesset, would disappear from the political map altogether according to Yedioth’s findings, while Maariv shows the struggling party just crossing the threshold with two places in the Knesset.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.