Binyamin Netanyahu, Tzipi Livni (file)
Binyamin Netanyahu, Tzipi Livni (file)Yonatan Sindel/Flash 90

Yet another poll has been released in the run up to the March 17 elections, this time showing Likud getting a clear upper hand on the Labor Hatnua joint list that it has been running neck and neck with for top spot.

According to the TNS Telecaster poll published Thursday night by Channel 1, Binyamin Netanyahu's Likud would get 26 mandates, whereas Labor and Hatnua co-chaired by Yizhak Herzog and Tzipi Livni would get 24.

Jewish Home would come in at 15 mandates, while the three Arab parties would get 11 seats on a united list. Chances of that happening appear increasingly slim however, after United Arab List's MK Ahmed Tibi broke off to form his own one-man party.

Shas under the recently returned Aryeh Deri would get nine mandates, and Yesh Atid eight, as would United Torah Judaism.

Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu would get seven seats, and Moshe Kahlon's Kulanu would likewise have seven, with the far left Meretz coming in at five.

Eli Yishai's Yachad - Ha'am Itanu party would not pass the threshold percentage into the Knesset that was raised by the outgoing coalition, as apparently would Dr. Michael Ben-Ari's Otzma Yehudit.

There has been talk of Ha'am Itanu and Otzma Yehudit running on a technical bloc joint list, whereby they would be able to later split and each retain their seats, but statements on Thursday indicated Yishai's party is opposed to the move, with a source in Otzma Yehudit saying "it seems that in the Yachad party there are too many sources who don't want us."