Israel’s opposition Zionist Camp would gain with Livni as leader, poll shows

A poll published by Israeli news site Walla yesterday shows the opposition Zionist Camp “regaining its political strength” were the faction be headed by Tzipi Livni, said the Times of Israel.

The Zionist Camp is an alliance between Labor, currently chaired by Avi Gabbay, and Hatnua, led by former foreign minister Livni.

Gabbay, however, is not a Member of Knesset, and thus the formal head of the opposition was, until recently, former Labor chair Isaac Herzog.

The latter has now been appointed to lead the Jewish Agency, and Livni is “pushing to be named opposition chief”, according to the Times of Israel.

Read: Use of force against Gaza does not bring tranquillity, says Livni

The new poll shows the Zionist Camp under Livni “gaining 16 seats and bypassing Yesh Atid’s 15 to become the second largest”.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud would stay well ahead, with 31 seats.

Under Gabbay, however, “the faction would only get 12 seats, according to the poll, with Yesh Atid getting 17”. The Zionist Camp currently has 15 seats.