A recent public opinion poll in Israel has revealed an interesting picture of the country’s political scene. According to the results of the poll commissioned by the Maariv newspaper, former Chief of Staff and politician Gadi Eisenkot leads current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by 10 percentage points among preferred candidates for the prime minister post.
The poll shows that although Netanyahu lags behind in terms of personal rating of leaders, the Likud party he leads continues to strengthen its position in terms of parliamentary support.
Likud increases its support
According to the research, Likud gains two seats compared to the previous poll, securing 22 seats in the Knesset. This indicates that the party has increased its voter support in recent months.
According to experts, the difference between the personal popularity of leaders and the overall rating of parties is an indicator of the fragmentation of the electorate in Israeli politics.
Chances of a new political bloc evaluated
The poll also explored the prospects of a possible new political alliance. According to calculations, if Benny Gantz, Ayelet Shaked, Yuli Edelstein, and Dedi Simhi unite in the same political bloc, this alliance could win about 4 seats in the Knesset.
Analysts believe that this figure is not yet sufficient for such a political alliance to become a serious force in Israeli politics. However, the creation of a new alliance could affect the future strategy of the opposition and the change in the pre-election political balance.
The results of the poll show that competition between both leaders and political parties in Israel is expected to intensify further in the coming period.
Source: jpost.com
