Channel 2 poll gives Zionist Union 25 seats

A new Channel 2 poll finds Zionist Union with 25 Knesset seats and Likud with 21 – the widest gap measured in surveys so far.

Third largest come the Joint (Arab) List and Jewish Home with 13 seats each, Yesh Atid with 12, Moshe Kahlon’s Kulanu with 8 seats, Shas with 7 seats, Yisrael Beytenu and United Torah Judaism with 6 seats each, Meretz with 5 seats and Yachad with 4 Knesset seats.

According to these results, Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog could establish a 64-MK coalition, giving him a narrow majority, with Yesh Atid, Kulanu, Shas, UTJ and Yisrael Beytenu. Natural ally Meretz would presumably refuse to be part of a coalition with ultra-Orthodox parties.

A second option for Herzog revolves around the notion of sharing power with Likud: A government with Zionist Union, Likud, Yesh Atid, Kulanu, Shas and UTJ would be 73 MKs strong.

On the other side, Netanyahu could easily establish a narrow right-leaning government with Jewish Home, Shas, UTJ and Yachad, and reach 65 MKs. It is widely assumed Netanyahu would not wish to establish a very hawkish government, however.

Regarding the man most suited to fill the role of prime minister, Netanyahu still enjoys a strong lead with 49% support against Herzog’s 36%, the poll finds. 15% of respondents were not sure either way.

1,003 respondents took part in the survey, which has a margin of error of 3%.