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Netanyahu still struggles to attain Knesset majority – latest poll

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The good news for the prime minister is that the latest survey shows that his Likud party is again leading Blue and White.

By World Israel News Staff

Despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s latest effort to unify right-wing Israelis, an opinion poll published on Tuesday shows that a Netanyahu-led government coalition could only be assured of 56 seats in the 120-member parliament in the September 17 election.

The poll, conducted by statistician Meno Geva, head of the Midgam survey panel, was released by the Walla! news website.

Netanyahu reached an agreement with Zehut party leader Moshe Feiglin to join forces and as a result, Zehut pulled out of the race.

The good news for the prime minister is that the latest survey shows that his Likud party is again leading Blue and White as the largest faction, 32-31, in the ongoing neck-and-neck battle between the two lists, after a poll published on Friday showed Blue and White ahead by two seats, 32-30.

Though still the force that would determine whether or not Netanyahu can attain a majority in parliament, MK Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party declined to nine seats in Tuesday’s poll compared to 11 in the survey released Friday by Yisrael Hayom and i24NEWS and conducted by the Maagar Mochot research institute.

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Netanyahu’s coalition of 56 would comprise the Likud as well as nationalist and Orthodox religious parties.

Blue and White leader MK Benny Gantz would have an even bigger problem forming a government coalition, according to the polls. He would likely gain the support of a couple of center-left lists.

The head of the Joint List, a bloc of predominantly Arab non-Zionist parties, has expressed a willingness to consider joining, as well, but Blue and White leaders have rejected that option.

Liberman says he wants to join a national unity government that would include both Likud and Blue and White.

Israelis vote only for a party in the parliamentary election, but in response to the question of a preferred prime minister, Netanyahu remained in the lead over Gantz in Tuesday’s Midgam poll, 39%-30%, though it marked a narrowing of the margin from Friday’s Maagar Mochot survey, which had the incumbent premier leading 40%-24% over Gantz.