TEL AVIV – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party has inched ahead of rival Blue and White in major polls taken days ahead of the national election.
A Channel 12 poll saw Likud gaining 34 of the Knesset’s 120 seats to Blue and White’s 33. The same pollsters last week saw one less for Likud and two more for Blue and White.
A separate surveys by Channel 13 gave Likud 33 seats compared to Blue and White’s 32 – marking the first time Likud has beaten Blue and White in any of the channel’s polls.
The Kan national broadcaster’s poll showed 35 seats for Likud and 34 for Blue and White.
103.Fm saw Likud and Blue and White at 34 and 32 respectively.
Commentators have said the drop in support for Blue and White seems to be the result of a pending investigation into a company once led by Blue and White party head Benny Gantz.
However, the polls do not predict that there will be a different outcome than the political deadlock that occurred in the past two elections.
Despite the increase to Likud’s seats, a Netanyahu-led coalition, consisting of Likud, Yamina and the ultra-Orthodox Shas and UTJ parties, is likely to hover around 57 seats, four shy of the 61 needed to make a parliamentary majority. Once again, Yisrael Beyteinu’s Avigdor Liberman is expected to be kingmaker.
A 50-seat Gantz-led coalition, likely to be comprised of Labor-Gesher-Meretz and Yisrael Beitenu, would also fall short by a large margin of 11 seats.
When asked by Kan if voters had concerns about going to polling stations during the coronavirus outbreak, 80% said they were not while 14 percent said they were.
“The corona[virus] is a big challenge. From the first moment I decided to take abundant preparatory measures that are stricter than any other country in the world. I don’t see a reason at the moment to delay the elections,” he told Jerusalem Radio.
Hundreds of Israelis have self-quarantined over fears they had been exposed to the virus overseas or because they were in contact with South Korean pilgrims who were visiting Israel and who tested positive after returning home.
Around 15 polling stations staffed by EMT service Magen David Adom employees will be set up around the country to allow quarantined Israelis to vote.
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