(07/11/09) -

Likud Is Most Popular Party in Israel

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Israel’s governing party remains the most popular, according to a poll by Dialog published in Haaretz. A prospective tally of seats shows that Likud would win 32 seats in the legislature or Knesset following the next election.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Israel’s governing party remains the most popular, according to a poll by Dialog published in Haaretz. A prospective tally of seats shows that Likud would win 32 seats in the legislature or Knesset following the next election.

Kadima is second with 29 seats, followed by Israel Our Home (Yisrael Beiteinu) with 14, the International Organization of Torah-observant Sephardic Jews (Shas) with 11, and Labour with 10 mandates. Support is lower for Yahadut Hatorah (United Torah Judaism), Vitality-Together (Meretz-Yachad), Jewish Home (Habayit Hayehudi), and the National Union (HaIhud HaLeumi). The Arab parties would get nine seats.

In February, Israeli voters renewed the Knesset. The Likud party, led by Netanyahu, secured 27 seats in the legislature. The far-right Israel Our Home, the Labour party, Shas, United Torah Judaism, and the Jewish Home joined Likud in a coalition. On Mar. 31, Netanyahu was sworn in as prime minister.

Netanyahu served as prime minister from June 1996 to July 1999, and resigned from Ariel Sharon’s cabinet—where he held the finance portfolio—after opposing the "Disengagement Plan."

Netanyahu recently said that his government will support the creation of a Palestinian state, surprising many who thought the hardliner would never agree with this notion.

On Jul. 8, Kadima leader Tzipi Livni called Netanyahu’s new stance on the so-called two state solution "the height of hypocrisy," adding "Everything this government does is superficial."

Polling Data

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

Source: Dialog / Haaretz
Methodology: Interviews with 500 Israeli adults, conducted in July 2009. Margin of error is 4.5 per cent.