(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Israel’s governing Kadima party is leading as the country heads to a snap election, according to a poll by the Dahaf Institute published in Yediot Ahronot. A prospective tally of seats shows that Kadima would secure 29 seats in the Knesset.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Israel’s governing Kadima party is leading as the country heads to a snap election, according to a poll by the Dahaf Institute published in Yediot Ahronot. A prospective tally of seats shows that Kadima would secure 29 seats in the Knesset.
Likud is second with 26 mandates, followed by Labour and the International Organization of Torah-observant Sephardic Jews (Shas) with 11 seats each, and Israel Our Home with nine mandates.
In March 2006, Israeli voters renewed the Knesset. Kadima, founded by former prime minister Ariel Sharon and led by Ehud Olmert, secured 29 seats in the legislature. Labour, Shas and the Retired People’s Party (Gil) joined Kadima in a coalition. In October, the Israeli cabinet approved the addition of Israel Our Home to the Olmert-led government.
In May, Israeli police raided the offices of Jerusalem’s city government and seized documents related to Olmert’s tenure as mayor, from 1993 to 2003. In July, Olmert announced that he would not participate in an extraordinary internal ballot for Kadima’s leadership. In September, Israeli foreign minister Tzipi Livni defeated transportation minister Shaul Mofaz in a close race to become Kadima’s new leader.
Livni was supposed to take over as Israel’s prime minister, but was unable to assemble a government. A snap election is expected to take place on Jan. 27, Feb. 3, or Feb. 10, 2009.
On Oct. 27, Netanyahu discussed national security, vowing to keep "defensible borders" in Israel, and adding, "We will not negotiate over Jerusalem, the capital of the Jewish people for the past 3,000 years. I didn’t do it in the past and I won’t do it in the future."
Polling Data
Prospective results of a Knesset election
(Results presented in seats)
|
Oct. 2008 |
Feb. 2008 |
|
|
Kadima (Forward) |
29 |
14 |
|
Likud (Consolidation) |
26 |
27 |
|
Labour |
11 |
19 |
|
International Organization of |
11 |
11 |
|
Israel Our Home (Yisrael Beiteinu) |
9 |
10 |
|
National Union (Ikhud) and |
7 |
8 |
|
Yahadut Hatorah (United Torah Judaism) |
7 |
7 |
|
Together (Yachad) |
6 |
5 |
|
Green Party (Yerukim) |
2 |
3 |
|
Gil (Retired People’s Party) |
2 |
3 |
|
Social Justice (Tzedek Hevrati) |
– |
3 |
|
Arab parties |
10 |
10 |
Source: Dahaf Institute / Yediot Ahronot
Methodology: Interviews with 900 Israeli adults, conducted on Oct. 26, 2008. Margin of error is 3.5 per cent.
