Livni and Netanyahu
Livni and NetanyahuIsrael news photo: (Flash 90)

The Likud party, headed by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, would win 32 seats in the Knesset, four more than it currently holds, while Kadima would lose four if elections were held today, according to a new Panorama poll released Thursday.

Nearly two-thirds have a positive view of the Prime Minister and 60 percent also are happy with Labor party chairman Ehud Barak as Defense Minister. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu) received a favorable rating of 50 percent.

When it comes down to which party the respondents favor in the Knesset, Labor, headed by Barak, received 12 mandates, one less than it currently holds. The big winner was the Likud, with 32 seats, all at the expense of Kadima, which dropped to 24 from the current 29.

Yisrael Beiteinu, headed by the Foreign Minister, dropped two seats to 13. The other parties’ strength remained more or less the same.

The results bolster the government coalition and leave Kadima leader Tzipi Livni in trouble. Less than half of the respondents had a positive view of her as Opposition leader, and 25 percent of Kadima voters gave her a negative mark.

She has made few headlines since the election and has criticized Prime Minister Netanyahu on virtually every move he has made, whether it be building for Jews in eastern Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria or agreeing to U.S. President Barack Obama’s demand for a building freeze, which she said should have been accepted months ago.

Two of her most publicized appearances were greeting new immigrants (olim) this week and dining with Madonna last week. Likud Knesset Member Danny Danon has filed a complaint with the Knesset Ethics Committee over her receiving a free ticket at a choice spot to view Madonna’s performance in Tel Aviv.

Livni’s aides said the charge “is as low as the grass” of the park where the performance was staged. They added that Livni paid NIS 490 for tickets for her and her husband but that when they arrived, Madonna’s team moved her to a special location reserved for the singer’s family.

After the performance, Livni and Madonna dined at a Tel Aviv restaurant.