Netanyahu would be unable to form government if elections were held today: Poll

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would struggle to form a government if elections were held today, according to a new poll released Friday.

The survey indicated that Netanyahu’s coalition would fall short of the 61-seat majority required in the 120-member Knesset.

The poll, done by the Lazar Institute and published by Israeli daily Maariv, said Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc would secure only 51 seats in the Knesset.

The opposition bloc would win 58 seats, with Arab parties taking 11, it said.

According to the poll, Netanyahu's Likud party would win 23 seats, while the opposition National Unity party led by Benny Gantz would secure 20.

The centrist Yesh Atid party led by opposition leader Yair Lapid would win 14 seats, while Avigdor Lieberman’s Israel Beiteinu party would claim 14.

Despite the poll results, new elections are unlikely in the near future, as Netanyahu has dismissed the prospect while Israel continues its offensives in both Gaza and Lebanon.

Some of Netanyahu’s critics say he consistently rejects any cease-fire proposal because peace would mean elections, and likely the end of his rule.

Maariv reported that the poll was conducted with a random sample of 602 Israelis.

An earlier survey by the same outlet said the war on Lebanon initially boosted Likud’s popularity, though subsequent polls indicated a decline in support for Netanyahu’s bloc.

Israel launched a brutal offensive on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack last year, killing more than 42,000 people, mostly women and children, and injuring over 99,000 others.

The conflict has spread to Lebanon, with Israel launching deadly strikes across the country, which have killed more than 1,500 people and injured over 4,500 others since Sept. 23.

Despite international warnings that the Middle East was on the brink of a regional war amid Israel’s relentless attacks on Gaza and Lebanon, on Oct. 1 Tel Aviv expanded the conflict by launching a ground incursion into southern Lebanon.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi