The Likud Continues to Drop in Polls; Joint List Gaining Strength

The far-right Likud Party headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is dropping in the public opinion polls towards a possible additional round of general elections. Furthermore, the bloc of the right-wing parties in Israel can no longer count on a majority in the Knesset if new elections were held today, a poll released by Radio 103FM on Wednesday, July 28, shows.

The Likud has lost 10 seats in polls conducted in the past two months amidst the coronavirus crisis and mass protests. While the party was projected to win 41 seats in a poll conducted in May, the Likud would garner only 31 seats according to the latest poll.

Yesh Atid-Telem would be the second largest party, with an increase in its Knesset seats up to 19, while the Joint List would also gain strength, according to the poll, winning 16 seats, followed by far-right Yamina with 13 seats. Benny Gantz’s Blue & White would win 10 seats, slightly up from recent polls predicting nine.

The haredi (Jewish-ultraorthodox) parties would remain about the same with Shas winning nine and United Torah Judaism seven seats respectively. Yisrael Beytenu would win eight seats and Meretz would be the smallest party in the Knesset with seven seats.

Labor, Otzma Yehudit, Derech Eretz, Gesher and Bayit Yehudi all part of the right-wing coalition led by Netanyahu would not pass the electoral threshold (3.25%), according to the poll. Consequently, based on this poll, the right-wing bloc, would win a total of 60 seats, one short of a majority in the 120 seat Knesset.