Last poll before the elections: Should Gantz drop Lapid? - KAN
This may be the last poll before the elections, because by law, polls are not permitted after Saturday afternoon.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFBenny Gantz (L) and Yair Lapid (R) at a press conference, March 21st, 2019(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)
According to the last poll that will be published before the elections on April 9, Likud has taken the lead with 31 seats in the Knesset, Israel's public broadcaster KAN published on Friday. Blue and White is following closely behind with 30 seats.But, according to the poll, if Blue and White leader Benny Gantz gave up his rotation with Yair Lapid, the party would receive 33 seats. Gantz and Lapid made a deal that if Blue and White would form the next government, after two and half years, Lapid would succeed Gantz as prime minister.Regardless, the left might have trouble forming a coalition. The right-wing and ultra-Orthodox bloc would remain bigger, according to the report.This is the last poll before the elections, because by law, polls are not permitted to be published after Saturday afternoon.According to the survey, the Labor party and Hadash-Ta'al would both receive eight seats.Education Minister Naftali Bennett and Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked's New Right party will receive six seats. The same would be true for Meretz, Zehut, and United Torah Judaism.Moshe Kahlon would gain 5 seats, and Aryeh Deri's Shas would go down to four. The Balad Party would also receive 4 seats. Yisrael Beiteinu and Gesher, Orly Levy-Abekasis' party, are not set to pass the threshold.Current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition would reach 58 seats in the Knesset. If Netanyahu joined with Moshe Feiglin the Right bloc could pass the necessary majority and build a coalition with 64 seats.The center-left bloc would reach 44 seats, but would jump to 56 if it joined with the Arab parties.
