(01/01/09) -

Kadima, Labour Gain Ground in Israel

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Israel’s legislative election could be very close, according to a poll by Maagar Mochot released by Israel Radio. A prospective tally shows that the right-wing Likud party would secure 30 seats in the February election to the Knesset, with the governing Kadima a close second with 28 mandates.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Israel’s legislative election could be very close, according to a poll by Maagar Mochot released by Israel Radio. A prospective tally shows that the right-wing Likud party would secure 30 seats in the February election to the Knesset, with the governing Kadima a close second with 28 mandates.

The Labour party is third with 16 seats, followed by the International Organization of Torah-observant Sephardic Jews (Shas) and Israel Our Home with 10 mandates each, and Vitality-Together (Meretz-Yachad) with seven seats each.

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 will take place on Feb. 10, 2009.

The Islamic Jihad organization launched Qassam rockets into Israel from Gaza almost daily since Hamas took control of the territory in June 2007. Israel holds Hamas responsible for the attacks for allowing the Islamic Jihad and other groups to act against Israel. In June 2008, a six-month calm agreement was reached between Israel and Hamas.

On Dec. 27, Israel launched a series of aerial attacks against what it deems "Hamas targets" in the Gaza Strip, including the Al Aqsa television station and the Islamic University of Gaza. At least 375 people have died, including 62 civilians. Olmert declared: "We tried to avoid, and I think quite successfully, to hit any uninvolved people—we attacked only targets that are part of the Hamas organizations."

On Dec. 29, Labour leader and Israeli defence minister Ehud Barak discussed the situation, saying, "We want peace. We’ve extended our hand more than once to the Palestinian people. We have nothing against the people of Gaza but we have a war to the bitter end with Hamas and its offshoots."

Polling Data

Prospective results of a Knesset election
(Results presented in seats)

Source: Maagar Mochot / Israel Radio
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 502 Israeli adults, conducted on Dec. 28, 2008. Margin of error is 4.5 per cent.