The Likud party’s lead over former Likud minister Gideon Sa’ar’s new party has fallen to single digits, a new poll has found.
According to a poll conducted by Professor Camil Fuchs and published by Channel 13 Sunday evening, if new elections were held today, the Likud would remain the largest party in the Knesset, despite plummeting eight seats, from 36 mandates in the current Knesset to 28.
Former Education Minister Gideon Sa’ar, who resigned from the Knesset after leaving the Likud recently, would receive 19 seats at the helm of the New Hope party, which includes Likud MK Yifat Shasha-Biton, and Derech Eretz MKs Yoaz Hendel and Zvi Hauser.
The Yesh Atid-Telem faction of Yair Lapid would come in third place with 16 seats if new elections were held today, while the rightist Yamina party is projected to win 14 seats.
The Joint Arab List, which won 15 seats in March, would fall to just 11 seats the poll found, while Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party would drop to just five seats.
Among the haredi factions, Shas is projected to fall from nine seats to seven, while United Torah Judaism would retain its seven seats.
The far-left Meretz party would more than double its strength, rising from three seats to seven, while Yisrael Beytenu would fall from seven seats to six.
Labor, the Jewish Home, Gesher, and Otzma Yehudit would all fail to cross the electoral threshold.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu remains the favorite candidate among respondents for the premiership, with 32% saying he is most qualified to serve as premier, compared to 15% who favor Sa’ar, 12% who prefer Yamina chief Naftali Bennett, and 12% who prefer Lapid, with Benny Gantz coming in last with 8%.
The poll also found that Israelis aren’t rushing to receive the new coronavirus vaccines, with just 31% saying they are certain they will get vaccinated, compared to 24% who said they want to get vaccinated, but not in next 30 days, 24% who said they don’t want to be vaccinated anytime in the near future, and 15% who say they won’t be vaccinated ever.
