ARAB AND WORLD
Fri 29 Dec 2023 1:12 pm - Jerusalem Time
Israeli Channel 13: An opinion poll shows Netanyahu losing half of his seats in the Knesset
A public opinion poll in Israel showed a decline in the popularity of the right-wing Likud Party headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as a poll conducted by the Israeli Channel 13 indicated that Likud would obtain only 16 seats in the Knesset (Parliament) “if elections were held today.” Likud currently has 32 representatives in the 120-seat Knesset.
According to the poll, “If (parliamentary) elections were held today, the “National Unity” party, headed by Minister in the Military Ministerial Council Benny Gantz, would have been the largest, winning 38 seats compared to 12 in the current Knesset. As for the “There is a Future” party, headed by Yair Lapid, it would have maintained It ranks third in the Knesset, with 15 seats, compared to 24 in the current Knesset.
In recent months, public opinion polls indicated a decline in the Likud Party's popularity.
Israeli Channel 13 said: “The collapse of Likud has continued since the outbreak of the war, and if the elections were held today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s party would have won only 16 seats, that is, only one seat more than Yair Lapid’s party.”
The channel pointed out that "if the elections were held today, the parties forming the government would have won only 45 seats, compared to 64 currently."
In addition to Likud, the parties forming the government include Shas, United Torah Judaism, Jewish Power, and Religious Zionism.
To form a government in Israel, it is necessary to obtain the confidence of at least 61 representatives in the Knesset.
On the other hand, the opinion poll indicates the possibility of the opposition parties obtaining 71 seats, and the coalition of the Democratic Front for Peace and the Arab List for Change obtaining 4 seats.
The poll showed that if Netanyahu were replaced as head of the Likud by former Mossad head Yossi Cohen, the party would win 23 seats, compared to 33 for the National Unity Party.
The channel reported that the poll was conducted by Israeli pollster Camille Fox, and included a random sample of 700 Israelis, with a margin of error of 3.7%.
The possibility of holding parliamentary elections does not appear on the horizon in light of the ongoing war on Gaza since last October 7, but Israeli estimates indicate the possibility of Israel returning to the ballot boxes after the war.
Since last October 7, the Israeli occupation army has been waging a devastating war on Gaza, which as of Thursday left 21,320 dead and 55,603 injured, most of them children and women, massive destruction of infrastructure and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, according to the Gaza Strip authorities and the United Nations.
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Israeli Channel 13: An opinion poll shows Netanyahu losing half of his seats in the Knesset