2 election polls again predict deadlock; Shaked quitting race doesn’t affect outcome

A pair of fresh election polls again predict a deadlock after next week’s Knesset election, with the bloc of parties supporting opposition chief Benjamin Netanyahu getting 60 seats in both — one short of a majority.

In a Channel 12 survey conducted by Midgam institute along with iPanel, Netanyahu’s Likud party gets 32 seats, Prime Minister Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid 24, Benny Gantz’s National Unity 13, Bezalel Smotrich’s Religious Zionism 13, Shas 8, United Torah Judaism 7, Yisrael Beytenu 5, Meretz 5, Labor 5, Hadash-Ta’al 4, and Ra’am 4.

The poll predicts that Balad will get 2% of the votes and Ayelet Shaked’s Jewish Home will get 1.8%, far below the 3.25% electoral threshold.

If Shaked drops out — which she has said today she will not do — nothing changes in the makeup of Knesset seats, the poll finds.

Asked whether they intend to vote, 80% of the supporters of the outgoing coalition said they do, versus 75% of the supporters of the pro-Netanyahu bloc.

The poll suggests that 72% of Israel’s Jews intend to vote, compared with only 46% of Arabs.

Meanwhile, a separate survey by the Kan public broadcaster predicts that Likud will get 31 seats, Yesh Atid 24, Religious Zionism 13, National Unity 12, Shas 9, United Torah Judaism 7, Yisrael Beytenu 6, Meretz 5, Labor 5, Hadash-Ta’al 4, and Ra’am 4.

Among the parties that fail to enter the Knesset, Balad gets 1.8% and Jewish Home gets 1.6%.