Over half the country - 53% - objects to significant concessions to the Arabs of Yesha, even in exchange for a peace agreement. A Geocartographic Institute survey, broadcast on Army Radio today, also states that some 84% are against dividing Jerusalem under any circumstances. The poll's election forecast gives the Likud 38 Knesset seats (up from 23), Labor 17 (26), Shinui 12 (6)), Shas 9 (17), Meretz 9 (10), Arabs 11 (10), National Union 9 (7), United Torah Judaism 5 (5), Yisrael B'Aliyah 5 (4), and the National Religious Party 4 (5). A Dahaf poll carried out last week gave Labor two more Knesset seats, and two fewer seats to both the Likud and the National Union.
A new poll shows that Binyamin Netanyahu is gaining in his bid to unseat Ariel Sharon as Likud Party leader. The latest numbers, produced by Midgam and publicized by the Netanyahu camp, show that 39.8% of Likud membership support Sharon, while 36.4% would rather have Netanyahu. Gil Samsonov, strategic advisor to Netanyahu's campaign and ex-chairman of the Board of the Israel Broadcasting Authority, told Arutz-7 today that the immediate goal is to neutralize the effect of the media:
"Usually, the press takes the side of Labor against Likud, but now for the first time - probably because there is no real candidate in Labor - it's taking sides in an internal Likud election. It is clearly siding with Sharon against Bibi. For instance, a poll publicized on Channel One showing an 18% lead for Sharon was clearly false; other polls at the same time showed leads of only 6% and 3%. But we fear self-fulfilling prophecies, in that these false numbers could cause Bibi supporters to lose heart, etc… Sharon is now making speeches that could have come straight from Labor - expressing support for a Palestinian state, saying that economic problems must be solved only after terrorism is vanquished, etc."
A new poll shows that Binyamin Netanyahu is gaining in his bid to unseat Ariel Sharon as Likud Party leader. The latest numbers, produced by Midgam and publicized by the Netanyahu camp, show that 39.8% of Likud membership support Sharon, while 36.4% would rather have Netanyahu. Gil Samsonov, strategic advisor to Netanyahu's campaign and ex-chairman of the Board of the Israel Broadcasting Authority, told Arutz-7 today that the immediate goal is to neutralize the effect of the media:
"Usually, the press takes the side of Labor against Likud, but now for the first time - probably because there is no real candidate in Labor - it's taking sides in an internal Likud election. It is clearly siding with Sharon against Bibi. For instance, a poll publicized on Channel One showing an 18% lead for Sharon was clearly false; other polls at the same time showed leads of only 6% and 3%. But we fear self-fulfilling prophecies, in that these false numbers could cause Bibi supporters to lose heart, etc… Sharon is now making speeches that could have come straight from Labor - expressing support for a Palestinian state, saying that economic problems must be solved only after terrorism is vanquished, etc."