Netanyahu's Likud to Stay Biggest Party in Israeli Parliament, Election Poll Shows
Amid a deepening political crisis, the survey shows Likud maintaining its present position – but there's still no clear way forward if an election were held now
A public opinion poll released Tuesday shows Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud maintaining its current position as the biggest party in the Israeli parliament, but no clear path for a stable coalition for either of the major blocs if an election were held now.
The online poll, published by Kan public broadcaster, comes amid a deepening political crisis. The ruling coalition has lost its Knesset majority and on Monday failed to pass a key piece of legislation extending regulations that apply Israeli law to West Bank settlers.
According to the poll, Likud, now in the opposition, would get 35 out of 120 Knesset seats. Together with other opposition parties, a pro-Netanyahu bloc would have 60 seats – one shy of a Knesset majority. Justice Minister Gideon Sa'ar's New Hope party, according to the poll, would fail to get enough votes to pass the 3.25-percent electoral threshold, but most other parties largely hold on to the same number of seats they currently occupy.
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Foreign Minister Yair Lapid's Yesh Atid party comes second in the Kan poll, with 20 seats, followed by far-right Religious Zionism party with 10. Defense Minister Benny Gantz's Kahol Lavan and ultra-Orthodox Shas party would each get eight seats.
Left-wing coalition member Labor would get seven seats, as would United Torah Judaism, an ultra-Orthodox opposition party.
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's Yamina party keeps its six current Knesset seats, according to the poll. The same goes for the Joint List, a predominantly Arab three-way alliance in the opposition, which would also get six seats.
The smallest parties would be Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman's Yisrael Beiteinu with six seats, followed by left-wing Meretz party and the United Arab List, each with four seats.
The survey, which polled 552 adults, has a 4.4-percent margin of error.
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