March 26, 2008

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The Likud party is holding on to the top spot in Israel’s political scene, according to a poll by Teleseker published in Maariv. The results suggest the party led by former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu could secure 30 seats in the Knesset.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The Likud party is holding on to the top spot in Israel’s political scene, according to a poll by Teleseker published in Maariv. The results suggest the party led by former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu could secure 30 seats in the Knesset.

The Labour party of Ehud Barak is second with 19 mandates, followed by the governing Kadima party of prime minister Ehud Olmert with 15 seats, Israel Our Home with 12 mandates, and the International Organization of Torah-observant Sephardic Jews (Shas) with 10 seats.

In March 2006, Israeli voters renewed the Knesset. Kadima, founded by former prime minister Ariel Sharon and led by 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 government. Olmert’s coalition now has the support of 78 of the Knesset’s 120 members.

In June 2007, Barak defeated former Israeli admiral Ami Ayalon in the second round of the Labour party’s primary election with 51.2 per cent of the vote. In August, Netanyahu won the Likud contest with 73 per cent of the vote.

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." Barak headed the Israeli government from July 1999 to March 2001.

Earlier this month, Barak—who also serves as defence minister—vowed to continue with a crackdown against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, saying, "Israel proved once more that it will hunt down murderers with Jewish blood on their hands and the people who sent them. No matter how much time goes by, Israel’s long reach will find them. That is our duty to the murdered and our responsibility to the living."

Polling Data

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

	Mar. 2008	Jan. 2008
Likud (Consolidation)	30	32
Labour	19	21
Kadima (Forward)	15	11
Israel Our Home (Yisrael Beiteinu)	12	10
International Organization of Torah-observant Sephardic Jews (Shas)	10	10
National Union (Ikhud) and Mafdal (National Religious Party)	8	9
Together (Yachad)	6	6
Yahadut Hatorah (United Torah Judaism)	5	5
Social Justice (Tzedek Hevrati)	5	7
Arab parties	10	9
Gil (Retired People’s Party)	--	--

Source: Teleseker / Maariv
Methodology: Interviews with 600 Israeli adults, conducted on Mar. 17, Margin of error is 4.3 per cent.