Israeli Elections: Netanyahu Can Be beaten by Gantz-Ya'alon Alliance, Poll Finds

Jerusalem Post ^ | Jan 30, 2019 | Gil Hoffman

[CondoleezzaProtege]

New polls taken Wednesday in the wake of former IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz’s first speech in politics and his bond with former defense minister Moshe Ya’alon found that he poses a threat to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The polls indicated that the address and the deal with Ya’alon elevated Gantz into a serious alternative to Netanyahu and his Likud Party.

When asked who is most fit to be prime minister, a survey taken by pollster Camil Fuchs for Channel 13 found that an equal number of Israelis, 42%, consider Netanyahu and Gantz fit to be prime minister.

A survey by pollsters Mano Geva and Mina Tzemach for Channel 12 found that 36% see Netanyahu as most fit and 35% preferred Gantz, up from 28% two weeks ago. A Directpolls survey for Kannn News found a larger gap of 47% for Netanyahu and 41% for Gantz.

The polls found that Gantz’s Israel Resilience party, which had peaked at 15 seats before, would win as many as 24 seats if the April 9 election was held now and that the gap with the Likud was as little as six seats.

In the Channel 13 poll, Likud would win 20 seats and Gantz’s party 24. In the Channel 12 poll, the gap was 30 seats for Likud to 21 for the Israel Resilience Pary. The Kann News predicted 31 seats for Likud and 23 for Gantz.

The polls found that the parties aligned with Netanyahu on the Right might not achieve the 61 MKs needed for a blocking majority, and if Netanyahu, as expected, gets indicted pending a hearing next month, he could have a significant challenge forming a government.

[jjotto]

Gantz and Ya’alon have a formal agreement. It’s no longer hypothetical. And they are in talks to have another former head of the IDF, Gabi Ashkenazi, join them. Formidable coalition.