Poll: Blue and White opens up gap ahead of Likud

The Blue and White party has opened up a significant lead over Likud, according to a new poll published today, right-wing news outlet Arutz Sheva reported.

According to the poll, commissioned by Channel 12, the Benny Gantz-led list would top a new election with 37 Knesset seats, four more than it won in September’s election.

Likud, meanwhile, consumed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s legal woes, would only win 30 seats, down two from its showing in September. The seven-seat lead is the largest such gap of any poll since the last elections.

Amongst the smaller parties on both the right and centre, the poll showed some small movement.

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Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu was down one seat from eight to seven, while the Joint List was also down one, from 13 seats to 12, according to the new poll. Two other parties dropped a seat – Labor-Gesher alliance (five down from six) and Meretz (four down from five).

The Jewish Home-National Union remained stable on four seats, while the New Right doubled its seats from three to six Knesset seats. United Torah Judaism retained its seven seats, while Shas fell from nine to eight seats.

The poll also quizzed respondents on the fallout to Netanyahu’s indictments, with 56 per cent saying the long-time Likud leader should not continue as prime minister, and 37 per cent saying he could continue in office.

Among Likud voters, 88 per cent would choose Netanyahu as their candidate in the scheduled party primary, with Nir Barkat and Gideon Sa’ar lagging a long way behind.

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