New Poll Shows Likud Slipping Ahead of October Election
A new poll in the occupied territories shows that Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party would win 20 seats if parliamentary elections were held, a result that points to a decline in the party’s standing ahead of the October race.
According to the poll, Gadi Eisenkot’s party would win 23 seats in the same scenario and move ahead of Likud. Netanyahu’s bloc would also need 61 seats to form a government, but at present it would secure only 52 seats.
By contrast, the opposition to Netanyahu led by Gadi Eisenkot would also win 51 seats. However, the numerical advantage of either bloc in this poll is not enough to form a government, and the political contest is still described as close.
Parliamentary elections in the occupied territories are due to be held on October 27. The contest is being fought between two main blocs: on one side Netanyahu’s alliance with right-wing and far-right parties, and on the other a grouping of left-wing, centrist and some right-wing parties that are facing fragmentation and internal divisions.
The significance of this election has increased because it is being held after three years of continued war on several fronts. This has made the upcoming race, in political circles in the occupied territories, one of the most important elections in recent years.
