Survey: Likud growing in strength, Labor collapsing
Benjamin Netanyahu's list of prominent recruits, including former MKs Begin, Meridor, former IDF chief and former police commissioner, apparently boosting Likud's popularity
If the general elections were held today, the Likud would win with 32 Knesset seats, whereas Kadima would receive only 26 mandates, a new survey published in Yedioth Ahronoth on Thursday revealed.
The poll, conducted by the Dahaf Institute among a representative sample of 500 respondents, gave the Labor Party a mere eight mandates.
The survey was held several days after Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu presented a list of prominent public figures who decided to join the party, including former Knesset members Dan Meridor and Benny Begin, former IDF chief Moshe Yaalon and former Police Commissioner Assaf Hefetz.
A previous Dahaf poll, held in October 27, gave the Likud 27 Knesset seats, Kadima 29 and Labor 11.
In the current survey, Shas received 11 seats, and so did the Arab parties. Yisrael Beiteinu got nine mandates and the haredi parties and Meretz are both predicted to win seven seats.
The new rightist movement founded by the National Religious Party received only six mandates in the survey.
Labor Chairman Defense Minister Ehud Barak commented on the less-than-flattering results saying, "I am well aware of our obsession with polls. If we do the right thing on election day, we will see be seeing different results."
Speaking at a conference on Thursday, Barak slammed the Likud, saying, "The Likud and Netanyahu will lead to a diplomatic dead end, the Likud and Netanyahu will lead us to a confrontation with the whole world."
On accusations that he has been working alone in his party and not cooperating with others, Barak said, "I know that I have been the bad boy of Israeli politics, and I am willing to accept that, as long as I am sure I'm doing the right things."
Tal Rabinovsky
