Two Israeli election polls released Sunday presented dramatically different pictures of the political landscape, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud receiving just 21 seats in a Kan 11 survey — compared to 31 seats in a Channel 14 poll conducted the same day.
The Kan 11 poll showed Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party emerging as the largest party with 24 seats, while Likud fell to 21. Naftali Bennett’s Beyachad received 14 seats.
The poll also showed Otzma Yehudit with 7 seats, Religious Zionism with 5, and the newly formed party led by former IDF Maj. Gen. Ofer Winter crossing the electoral threshold with 4 seats.
The Democrats received 9 seats, Yisrael Beiteinu 8, United Torah Judaism 8, the Joint List 8, Shas 7, Ra’am 5 and Amcha Yisrael 4. Bayit Tzioni, Blue and White and Gilad Erdan’s party all failed to cross the electoral threshold.
But a Channel 14 poll released Sunday showed a vastly different result, with Likud receiving 31 seats — a full 10 seats more than in the Kan survey. Eisenkot’s Yashar received 24 seats, while Bennett’s Beyachad fell to just 6.
In the Channel 14 poll, Otzma Yehudit, United Torah Judaism and Yisrael Beiteinu each received 7 seats, while Religious Zionism and Amcha Yisrael each received 4.
Channel 14’s poll placed the right-wing bloc at 63 seats, compared to 45 for the left-wing bloc and 12 for the Arab parties.
Netanyahu also held a significant advantage in Channel 14’s question of suitability to serve as prime minister, receiving 51%, compared to 35% for Eisenkot and 10% for Bennett.
The sharply different results come as Ofer Winter’s entrance into the political arena adds another player competing for votes on the Israeli right, with the Kan survey showing his party crossing the electoral threshold.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
