Israel: Blue and White maintains clear lead over Likud in the polls

Blue and White is maintaining its consistent lead over Likud ahead of new elections next year, a new poll has shown.

As reported by right-wing news outlet Arutz Sheva, a poll conducted for Makor Rishon found that if elections were held today, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leading Likud, Blue and White (Kahol Lavan) would win 38 seats, up from its current 33. Likud, meanwhile, would win 34, up from its current 32.

The Joint List would rise from 13 to 14 seats, and Labor-Gesher would drop from six to five. Shas would fall from nine to eight, while United Torah Judaism would remain stable at seven seats. The New Right party would secure seven seats.

Far-right factions the Jewish Home-National Union, and Otzma Yehudit, would both fail to cross the electoral threshold and fail to enter the Knesset, as would centre-left Democratic Union.

Overall, these results would leave the right-wing bloc with 56 seats, and the centrist bloc (including Joint List) would have 57 seats. Yisrael Beiteinu would fall from eight seats to seven.

However, was Gideon Sa’ar to defeat Netanyahu in Likud’s leadership primary, and take his party into the next election, the right-wing bloc would increase to 60 seats, with Jewish Home-National Union clearing the electoral threshold.

Running against Sa’ar, Blue and White would win 34 seats, with Likud dropping to 30 seats.

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