Polls: Netanyahu's Congress Speech Boosts Likud, but No Game Changer

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Congress speech may not have halted the nuclear talks with Iran, but it succeeded in at least one respect: restoring the two Knesset seats Likud had lost in recent poll projections.

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According to a Channel 10 poll released Wednesday, if the elections held today Likud would win 23 seats (compared to 21 in the previous poll), while Zionist Union maintains its strength at 23 seats.

The poll also gave Yesh Atid and the Joint List 13 seats each, and Habayit Hayehudi 12. Shas retained its position with 7 seats, Kulanu got 10 (up from 9), United Torah Judaism went down from 7 to 6, Meretz stayed at 5 seats, Yisrael Beiteinu went down from 6 to 5, and Yahad went down from 5 to 4.

A Channel 2 poll also Wednesday gave Zionist Union the lead with 24 seats to Likud's 23, with 13 to the Joint List. Habayit Hayehudi and Yesh Atid were neck and neck with 12 seats apiece. Kulanu stands at 8, United Torah Judaism gets 6, along with Yisrael Beiteinu, Shas and Meretz, and Yahad on 4.

Respondents to the Channel 2 poll were also asked who they support for prime minister. Forty-seven percent said Netanyahu; 28 responded Herzog; and 25 percent remained undecided.

The Channel 10 poll, however, gave Netanyahu a slightly smaller lead of 44 percent to Herzog's 35, with 21 percent undecided.