A woman walks by an election campaign billboard showing Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud party leader, in Tel Aviv, March 28, 2019. (AP/Oded Balilty)
A recent poll shows the Likud party led by Netanyahu beating its main rival, the Blue and White party.
By David Isaac, World Israel News
The Likud pulled ahead of the Blue and White party (31-30) in a poll published yesterday by Israel’s Channel 12 and conducted by Panels Politics.
The survey firm Panels Politics came up with the same results in a poll published last Wednesday for Israel’s Walla! web portal.
If accurate, Likud would gain one more seat than it has in the current governing coalition, placing it in a strong position to form the next government.
Polls have consistently shown a right-wing bloc beating a coalition from the left. However, the Likud itself has also placed consistently behind the new Blue and White party, comprised of a combination of parties brought together to defeat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In the new poll, when asked who is best suited to be prime minister, a large majority said Netanyahu (53%) was more qualified than Blue and White leader Benny Gantz (30%), a political newcomer who served as IDF chief-of-staff.
The two poll results may reflect recent foreign policy successes of Netanyahu. Last week, President Donald Trump formally recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan. And yesterday, Brazilian President Jair Bolsanaro paid a visit to Israel, bringing with him a large delegation to sign bi-lateral agreements on trade.
However, not all polls show the Likud ahead. Another poll conducted by Midgam and iPanel also for Channel 12 and published the same day found Blue and White ahead of the Likud (32-28).
In general, over the last month, polls have found Blue and White leading the Likud. But there’s also a clear trend showing that the gap between the two parties has been closing. From a March 1 poll showing Blue and White handily beating Likud (36-30) the difference has shrunk to within two-to-three seats in most polls.
The latest Panels Politics polls stand out in that they show Likud has not only closed the gap but pulled ahead.
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The two countries have also held joint training exercises between their militaries.