Mofaz: 'I have plans to revive the Likud'
A weekend poll conducted for Yedioth Ahronoth indicates that Prime Minister Sharon's Kadima party is soaring; Mofaz: I can save the Likud
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's Kadima party has reached a new height of ratings in projected elections mandates, according to a weekend poll commissioned for Yedioth Ahronoth, Israel's leading newspaper.
According to the poll, the Kadima party will win 39 mandates (compared to 34 in the last poll).
The Labor party has fallen to 23 mandates (from 27), and the Likud has risen to 13 (from 10) mandates. The rest of the parties have more or less remained in their place, according to the Dahaf Institute poll.
Despite Likud's poor poll performance, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz says it is too early to write off the Likud, provided the party falls under his leadership.
"It's too early to eulogize the Likud, I have plans for the party's recovery. If Netanyahu gets elected, many members will leave and the movement will fall apart. I'm the alternative," said the Likud leadership candidate, at a meeting with party activists in the Tikva market in Tel Aviv.
"You don't leave your home," said Mofaz, adding: "I stood fast in the face of the most difficult test. I was offered the number two position in Kadima, the position of defense minister and deputy prime minister – and I refused."
Mofaz: You don't leave your home (Photo: Yaron Brenner)
Mofaz added that "if we want a Jewish majority, we need three things: Demography over geography, an encouragement of immigration, and a support of families blessed with children. The budgets have been spent in exactly the opposite way of what is needed."
Mofaz added: "If Netanyahu is elected, the party will be small and marginal. We must take out the Feiglins from the Likud because they represent extremist right-wing values."
Peretz: I'll enjoy beating the polls
In Jerusalem, Labor Party Chairman Amir Peretz toured the streets, and spoke to workers in the Ben Yehuda food market.
Searching for votes in Jerusalem: Amir Peretz (Photo: Yoav Galai)
Speaking about the unflattering polls, Peretz said: "I always enjoy beating the polls." He then continued to Zion square, where the Labor leader said: "I stand here in this historic spot, and remind Labor members that Yitzhak Rabin was a man of peace and a man of social justice. He prioritized health, and changed the national priorities list – and we must not forget that."
According to the poll, Shas will receive 10 mandates in the elections, Shinui and Meretz will end up with five mandates each, Yehadut Hatorah will also have five mandates, Yisrael Beitenu will have 4, and the Mafdal party will win three mandates in the general elections.
When respondents were asked which party would win the elections, and were requested to give their opinion regardless of their own political allegiances, 56 percent answered Kadima, while 15 percent said Labor would win.
Former winner on 13 mandates
Only 13 percent of the poll's respondents said Likud would win the race.
Sharon continue to be perceived as a more authentic leader than Peretz (41 percent compared to 33 percent), and 70 percent of those asked believed Sharon was best suited to handle security matters, compared to 11 percent who most trusted Peretz.
On issues linked to socio-economic issues, the results were predictably different: 42 percent believe that Amir Peretz will do a better job of handling the country's social problems, compared to 33 percent who believe that Sharon is also the best leader in this sphere.
In this situation, with 39 mandates, Sharon is suffering from "the problems of the rich," in that he has more mandates than people to fill them with.
