(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Israel’s governing party is the most popular in the country a year after the last legislative ballot, according to a poll by Dialog published in Haaretz. A prospective tally of seats shows that the Likud party would garner 35 seats in the next election to the Knesset, up three since July 2009.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Israel’s governing party is the most popular in the country a year after the last legislative ballot, according to a poll by Dialog published in Haaretz. A prospective tally of seats shows that the Likud party would garner 35 seats in the next election to the Knesset, up three since July 2009.
The opposition Kadima is second with 26 seats, followed by Israel Our Home with 14, the International Organization of Torah-observant Sephardic Jews (Shas) with 10, and the Labour party with nine. Support is lower for United Torah Judaism, Vitality-Together, National Union, and Jewish Home. The Arab parties would get eight seats in the Knesset.
In February 2009, 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. In March, 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."
On Feb. 8, Kadima leader Tzipi Livni criticized Netanyahu’s proposal to allow all Israeli citizens who live overseas to vote in general elections, saying, "This law is immoral. Netanyahu has yielded to [Israel Our Home leader Avigdor] Lieberman’s demands. This is the same Netanyahu who failed in the previous elections and needed a bloc in order to form a coalition. This initiative is a continuation of the government’s efforts to secure a political majority. (…) Elections in Israel are about Israel’s character and future. Such decisions should lie with those who live here."
Polling Data
Prospective results of a Knesset election
(Results presented in seats)
|
Feb. 2010
|
Jul. 2009
|
|
|
Likud (Consolidation)
|
35
|
32
|
|
Kadima (Forward)
|
26
|
29
|
|
Israel Our Home (Yisrael Beiteinu)
|
14
|
14
|
|
International Organization of Torah-observant Sephardic Jews (Shas)
|
10
|
11
|
|
Labour
|
9
|
10
|
|
United Torah Judaism (Yahadut Hatorah)
|
5
|
5
|
|
Vitality-Together (Meretz-Yachad)
|
5
|
4
|
|
National Union (HaIhud HaLeumi)
|
5
|
3
|
|
Jewish Home (Habayit Hayehudi)
|
3
|
3
|
|
Arab parties
|
8
|
9
|
Source: Dialog / Haaretz
Methodology: Interviews with 491 Israeli adults, conducted on Feb. 1 and Feb. 2, 2010. Margin of error is 4.5 per cent.
