Netanyahu trails Gantz by 6 seats in new poll

It is unlikely that either Gantz or Netanyahu will be able to form a ruling government without Liberman’s Israel Beiteinu party.

By World News Staff

A new poll published by Channel 12 news on Friday showed that if Israeli elections were held today, Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party would win six more Knesset seats than Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.

Blue and White won 33 seats and Likud picked up 32 in Israel’s second election in September.

According to the poll, Israel Beiteinu would match the eight seats it won in the last election, the Sephardic Ultra-Orthodox Shas party would drop from nine to eight seats, United Torah Judaism would match its current seven seats and the New Right would net five seats.

The left-wing parties of Labor-Gesher would match its current six seats and the Democratic Camp would drop from five to four seats. The Arab Joint List, which refuses to join any coalition, would gain one seat more than the 13 they received in the last election.

As with the last two elections, it would be unlikely based on these predictions that either Gantz nor Netanyahu will be able to form a ruling government without Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party.

On Dec. 24, 2018, Netanyahu called for early elections after Liberman dropped out over a spite with the Orthodox parties regarding the IDF draft law. In doing so the 20th Knesset’s term ended, which contributed to the early collapse of the 21st and 22nd Knesset because no ruling coalitions were formed after the two elections.

According to the poll, 43% of the respondents placed the blame for third elections on Netanyahu and 30% blamed Liberman, while 6% blamed Blue and White No. 2 Yair Lapid, 5% blamed Gantz, and 2% blamed the Orthodox parties.