United Right headed by Shaked to become third largest party - poll
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFAyelet Shaked hosts a goodbye party as she leaves her position as Justice Minister.(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
The United Right, made up of The New Right, Bayit Yehudi and The National Union, and headed by Ayelet Shaked will become the third largest party in the next Knesset, according to a poll by Channel 12 news, published Tuesday night.The party is set to receive 13 seats, the poll said, with Likud and Blue and White tied at 30 seats.Should the United Right reach further agreements with other right-wing parties Otzma Yehudit andf Zehut, it would gain even more seats, 13 or 14 respectively. These gains would cost Likud mandates, threatening its standing as the largest party in the Knesset.Avigdor Liberman's Yisrael Beytenu continues to hold the key to the next government with 10 seats. Liberman announced Tuesday that he would only enter a coalition that includes both Likud and Blue and White. The Joint Arab list will be the fourth largest party, with 11 mandates.On the left side of the aisle, the Democratic Union will receive 7 mandates and Labor-Gesher 5 seats, the poll found.The ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism would get 7 and 8 seats respectively.Both Zehut and Otzma Yehudit will fail to pass the threshold and enter the Knesset if they do not reach an agreement to run with another party.Combined, the Right bloc continues to lead over the Center-Left, gaining 57 seats in total, compared to 53. Liberman is placed in between the blocs with his crucial 10 seats tilting the balance in favor of one bloc or the other.
