A new poll published by the Hebrew language newspaper Ma'ariv Thursday shows the Likud with a narrow lead over Kadima while Labor and the national religious Jewish Home party gained in popularity. More than 50 percent of the respondents said that the achievement by Jewish Leadership faction leader Moshe Feiglin in the Likud primaries this week did not influence their answers.

According to the poll, Likud would win only 31 Knesset seats, five less than an earlier poll this week awarded the party. Kadima would win 28, and Labor would have 12 Knesset Members. Next in line are Israel Is Our Home (Yisrael Beiteinu) with 11 seats, Shas with nine and Jewish Home with six. Meretz and United Torah Judaism (UTJ) each would win five seats if elections were held today. The Green party would have three MKs and the Arab parties 10.

Likud chairman MK Binyamin Netanyahu would be able to form a coalition with 62 MKs.