Newly named ‘Zionist Camp’ slightly ahead of Likud in new polls

Opinion polls published Thursday by Israel’s two nightly TV news shows put the newly named Zionist Camp — the merged Labor-Hatnua list — slightly ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud with two months to go before the March 17 elections.

The polls suggest, however, that Isaac Herzog’s left-of-center Zionist Camp and Netanyahu’s right-of-center Likud could each struggle to form a coalition, and that if the figures hold firm, some kind of unity government between them might become a likely option. However, the electorate has proved itself volatile in years past, and the poll findings are likely to keep shifting in the weeks ahead.

Channel 10’s findings were as follows: Zionist Camp 24 seats; Likud 20; Jewish Home 16; Arab parties (Ra’am-Taal/Balad and Hadash) 12; Yesh Atid 10; Kulanu 10; United Torah Judaism 7; Shas 6; Meretz 6; Yisrael Beytenu 5; Ha’am Itanu 4.

Channel 2’s poll findings were as follows: Zionist Camp 25 seats; Likud 23; Jewish Home 16; Yesh Atid 11; Kulanu 8; Yisrael Beytenu 7; Shas 7; United Torah Judaism 7; Ra’am-Taal/Balad 6; Meretz 5; Hadash 5.