Poll: Trump's visit strengthens Netanyahu, Israeli right in opinion polls

An opinion poll revealed that the visit of US President Donald Trump to Israel last week has boosted the position of Israeli ruling Likud party and Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

The poll conducted by Israel’s Channel 2, revealed that in the event of parliamentary elections, the Likud would win 30 seats in the Knesset, an increase of 8 seats from the the previous poll conducted by the same channel.

This would come at the expense of Yesh Atid party, led by Yair Lapid, which will get only 22 seats in the Knesset, while the Arab joint list would get 13 seats and the Zionist camp would win 12 seats.

The right-wing Jewish Home party would win nine parliamentary seats, while Shas, Yahadut Hatorah, Kulanu and Yisrael Beiteinu would each win seven seats.

Left wing party, Meretz would get six seats, while a party founded by former Defence Minister, Moshe Ya’alon would be expected to fail in the elections.

On the prime ministership,  35 percent of the respondents said Benjamin Netanyahu would be the appropriate person to lead the government compared with 14 percent for Yair Lapid and only 4 percent for the leader of the Zionist camp, Yitzhak Herzog.

Additionally, about 50 per cent of respondents said they supported a peace agreement based on a two-state solution on the borders of the land Israel occupied in 1967 while 47 per cent said they supported an agreement that included land swap and the preservation of the major settlement blocs, compared with 39 per cent opposed and 14 per cent said they did not know.

Trump visited Israel last week and expressed full support for the Israeli government.