A majority of Israeli voters oppose the formation of a national unity government led by the Likud and including the center-left Blue and White party, a new poll finds, despite the fact that neither the right-wing bloc nor the left-wing bloc have any apparent path to a narrow government.
According to the poll, which was conducted by the Midgam polling agency and published by Walla! Monday morning, the Likud would become the largest party in the Knesset if new elections were held today with 31 seats, compared to 29 for the Blue and White party.
The right-wing – religious bloc as a whole would win 67 seats, compared to 53 for the left-wing – Arab bloc.
But that rightist majority includes ten seats taken by the secular rightist Yisrael Beytenu party, which has vowed not to support a narrow right-wing government, and has instead called for a unity government of secular parties, including the Likud and Blue and White.
Most voters oppose the formation of such a government, however, with 52% saying they would not support a unity government led by Netanyahu, compared to just 34% who said they would support such a coalition. Fourteen percent of poll participants did not express an opinion.
Right-wing voters appear to be slightly more likely to support such a government, with 48% opposing and 37% supporting a unity government.
Self-identified left-wing and centrist voters were less supportive, with 55% opposed and 38% in favor of a unity government led by Netanyahu.
The poll also shows support for the United Right party slipping slightly, with the joint rightist ticket dropping from 12 seats in the previous poll to 11 mandates in the current survey, while the Likud rose from 30 to 31 seats.
The haredi parties received a total of 15 seats in the poll, as they did in the previous Midgam poll, with eight for United Torah Judaism and seven for Shas.
The Democratic Camp, a merger of the far-left Meretz and the new Israel Democratic Party of Ehud Barak, would win seven seats if new elections were held today, the same as the Midgam poll showed over the weekend.
Labor remains steady at six seats, while the Arab Joint List remained stable at 11 seats.
Otzma Yehudit and Zehut failed to pass the 3.25% minimum threshold, with 2.2% and 1.9% respectively.