Channels

Photos: Motti Kimchi, Reuters
Gabbay, Lapid and Netanyahu
Photos: Motti Kimchi, Reuters

Polls: Likud still largest party, but right-Haredi bloc loses power

Recent polls by the Israeli News Company and Channel 10 show a decline for the current coalition, as Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid gains seats while Haredi party Shas barely makes it pass the election threshold.

Likud would remain the largest party the next elections, but the right-wing-Haredi bloc that makes up the current coalition government would lose power, two recent polls showed on Wednesday evening.

 

 

According to a poll by the Israeli News Company (formerly Channel 2 News), if the elections were held today, Likud would have won 24 out of the 120 Knesset seats—six spots less than what it currently holds.

 

However, this would still put Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's party ahead of the Zionist Union, led by Labor leader Avi Gabbay, which would've received 21 seats.

 

Labor leader Avi Gabbay, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu (Photos: Motti Kimchi, Reuters)
Labor leader Avi Gabbay, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu (Photos: Motti Kimchi, Reuters)

 

The poll, conducted by Mina Tzemach and Manu Geva of the Midgam Institute, found Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid Party would grow in strength, with 20 seats, while Naftali Bennett's Bayit Yehudi would also be bolstered with 12 seats—the same as the Arab Joint List Party.

 

Moshe Kahlon's Kulanu Party would lose two seats, dropping from 10 to eight, while Yisrael Beytenu and Meretz would maintain their number of Knesset seats, six and five respectively.

 

The ultra-Orthodox Sephardic party Shas, meanwhile, would drop to four seats from its current seven, just barely making it pass the election threshold.

 

Overall, the right-Haredi bloc, which currently holds power, would hold 62 seats, while the center-left bloc would have 58 seats.

 

A similar poll by Channel 10 had the Likud Party in the lead with 26 seats, but predicts the right-wing bloc would lose its majority in the Knesset.

 

The poll was conducted by Prof. Camil Fuchs in conjunction with the Midgam Panel company, which is headed by Dr. Ariel Ayalon, and Statnet, which is headed by Yousef Makladeh.

 

According to this poll, Yesh Atid would become the second-largest party in the Knesset with 22 seats. Zionist Union, meanwhile, would drop to 19 seats, ahead of Joint List (12) and Bayit Yehudi (11).

 

Meretz got a boost in the poll, receiving eight seats and coming up ahead of Kulanu (seven), United Torah Judaism (six), Yisrael Beytenu (five) and Shas (four).

 

Overall, the poll shows the center-left bloc having an apparent majority of 61 seats, but Zionist Union leader Avi Gabbay has already declared he would not sit in a coalition with the Joint List.

 


פרסום ראשון: 11.02.17, 11:58
 new comment
Warning:
This will delete your current comment