New poll puts Likud and Yesh Atid neck and neck
Zionist Union trails with just 10 expected seats, in Channel 10 survey; party headed by former DM Ya’alon would fail to enter Knesset
A poll published on Israeli television on Friday evening found that the ruling Likud party would win 26 Knesset seats if elections were held today, with centrist party Yesh Atid on 25.
According to the poll, published on Channel 10 news, Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud would slip to 26 from its current 30, while Yair Lapid Yesh Atid would rise to 25 from its current 11 Knesset seats. (A Channel 2 survey last week gave both these parties 26 seats.)
The religious-nationalist Jewish Home was slated to win 13 seats (up from 8) in Friday’s poll, with the Joint (Arab) List winning 13 as well, the same number it has now.
Zionist Union, an amalgamation of Labor with the short-lived Hatnua party, continued its decline with only 10 expected Knesset seats (down from 24).
Yisrael Beytenu (6), United Torah Judaism (6) and Meretz (5) were expected to win 7 seats each.
The Kulanu party dropped to 6 seats from its current 10. Shas was also expected to win 6 seats, down from 7.
With results as predicted by the poll, Likud could easily muster a coalition, partnering with Jewish Home, Yisrael Beytenu, UTJ, Shas and Kulanu, to total 65 seats in the 120-member Knesset. (Last week’s Channel 2 survey had suggested Likud might have a harder time mustering a majority coalition.)
The poll also showed that the yet unnamed and unannounced party headed by former Likud defense minister Moshe Ya’alon would not pass the threshold to enter the Knesset.
Amid growing talk of elections as Netanyahu battles corruption allegations, 34 percent of respondents said they had not yet made a decision. But pollster Camil Fuchs said on Channel 10 that these people were questioned on their political leanings and their responses were calculated into the results.
The poll surveyed 755 respondents, with 610 Jewish Israelis and the rest from the Arab sector. No margin of error was given.
