Poll: Joint List Would Remain 3rd Largest Faction in the 23rd Knesset

A new poll shows far-right that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rivals gaining ground on him as he faces corruption charges and the prospect of leading the country to a third election in less than a year, having failed twice to secure a ruling coalition.

The poll published on Friday night, December 6, by Channel 12 News finds that 52% of the public said they believed Netanyahu should not continue to serve as prime minister while facing indictment charges. Among right-wing voters, only 34% believe Netanyahu should step down, while 57% say that, for them, the charges are not an issue.

The poll results released last Friday by Channel 12 News, December 6

The poll results released last Friday by Channel 12 News, December 6 (Footage: Channel 12)

According to the poll, if elections were held today, Blue & White would lead the field winning 34 seats in the 120 Knesset, with the Likud just behind it with 33 seats. These poll results gives each of the two large parties one more seat than they respectively won in the September election. According to the poll, the Joint List will remain the third largest parliamentary faction in the Knesset with 13 seats (its current representation), while Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu will also retains its present strength, 8 seats. Shas’s number of MKs would decrease from 9 to 8, and United Torah Judaism would also win 8 seats, an increase of 1 since September’s election.

The poll also predicts that The New Right, which ran as part of the United Right in the last election, would win 6 seats, while Labor-Gesher and the Democratic Union would each win 5 seats.

According to this poll, the Jewish Home-National Union settlers’ party would not pass the electoral threshold (3.25% of the valid votes, or 4 Knesset seats), nor would the racist Otzma Yehudit party.

As far as the blocs are concerned, based on this poll, the center-left together with the Joint List would have 57 seats, while the right plus the Ultra-Orthodox parties would have a total of 55 seats. Once again, Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beytenu with 8 seats would retain its status as the only party that can grant or deny a parliamentary majority to either of the two blocs.