(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The opposition Likud party is ahead in Israel, according to a poll by Maagar Mochot released by Channel 2. A prospective tally shows Likud would secure 31 mandates in the Knesset, followed by the governing Kadima with 23 seats.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – The opposition Likud party is ahead in Israel, according to a poll by Maagar Mochot released by Channel 2. A prospective tally shows Likud would secure 31 mandates in the Knesset, followed by the governing Kadima with 23 seats.
Labour is third with 15 mandates, followed by Israel Our Home with 13 seats, and the International Organization of Torah-observant Sephardic Jews (Shas) with 12 mandates. Support is lower for Vitality-Together, Yahadut Hatorah, Jewish Home, National Union, the Green Party and the Retired People’s Party (Gil). The Arab parties would get nine seats.
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 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 2008, 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.
Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu served as prime minister from June 1996 to July 1999, and resigned from Sharon’s cabinet—where he held the finance portfolio—after opposing the "Disengagement Plan." Labour leader Ehud Barak—the current defence minister—headed the Israeli government from July 1999 to March 2001.
On Jan. 18, Israel declared a unilateral ceasefire to a three-week long military operation in the Gaza Strip. The mission sought to stop the launching of Qassam rockets into Israeli territory by Hamas, the Islamic militant and political organization that has been in control of the territory since June 2007. More than 1,300 people died on the Palestinian side and more than 5,000 were wounded. Women and children account for more than a third of the Palestinian fatalities, and almost half of the injuries. The Israeli death toll is tabled at 13 people.
On Jan. 20, Israel Our Home leader Avigdor Lieberman said to Israeli Arab legislator Taleb a-Sanaa: "We will take care of you like we take care of every terrorist; we will take care of you just like Hamas took care of you."
Vitality-Together issued a statement, which read: "Lieberman the racist doesn’t stop at a red light. First he tries to prevent Arab representation in the Knesset and now he wants to kill their representatives."
Polling Data
Prospective results of a Knesset election
(Results presented in seats)
|
Jan. 18 |
Jan. 13 |
Jan. 6 |
|
|
Likud (Consolidation) |
31 |
28 |
32 |
|
Kadima (Forward) |
23 |
26 |
25 |
|
Labour |
15 |
16 |
17 |
|
Israel Our Home (Yisrael Beiteinu) |
13 |
14 |
10 |
|
International Organization of Torah-observant Sephardic Jews (Shas) |
12 |
10 |
10 |
|
Vitality-Together (Meretz-Yachad) |
6 |
6 |
6 |
|
Yahadut Hatorah (United Torah Judaism) |
5 |
5 |
5 |
|
Jewish Home (Habayit Hayehudi) |
3 |
3 |
4 |
|
National Union (HaIhud HaLeumi) |
1 |
2 |
2 |
|
Green Party (Yerukim) |
1 |
– |
– |
|
Retired People’s Party (Gil) |
1 |
– |
– |
| Arab Parties | 9 | 10 | 9 |
Source: Maagar Mochot / Channel 2
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 512 Israeli adults, conducted on Jan. 18, 2008. Margin of error is 4.5 per cent.
