(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - The opposition Likud party is holding on to the top position in Israel, according to a poll by the Dahaf Institute published in Yediot Ahronot. The results suggest Likud, led by former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would secure 25 seats in the Knesset.

The Labour party of Ehud Barak is second with 23 mandates, followed by the governing Kadima party of prime minister Ehud Olmert and the International Organization of Torah-observant Sephardic Jews (Shas) with 11 seats each.

In March 2006, Israeli voters renewed the Knesset. Kadima, founded by former prime minister Ariel Sharon and led by Olmert, secured 29 seats. Labour, the Retired People's Party (Gil) and Shas 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, former prime minister 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. Likud will hold a primary election on Aug. 14.

On Aug. 2, Israel Our Home leader and minister for strategic affairs Avigdor Lieberman criticized the government's recent decision to support Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas, declaring, "You can't strengthen someone who is a zero. Abbas has done nothing to deserve these gestures. Has he arrested wanted terrorists, or collected weapons, or fought terrorism? A zero always remains a zero."

Polling Data

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

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