By GIL HOFFMANTraffic moves past a Blue and White party election campaign poster, depicting party leader Benny Gantz, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in Tel Aviv, Israel February 18, 2020(photo credit: AMIR COHEN/REUTERS)
A government will not be formed as a result of Monday's race and Israelis are doomed to go to the polls for the fourth time, 30.4% of Israelis believe, according to a new Israel Democracy Institute poll published Thursday.The poll asked 744 respondents representing a statistical sample of the voting age population what government they expect to see formed following Monday's election.The most common answer was the 30.4% who said no government would be formed and fourth elections will be held, followed by 22.1% who said a right-wing coaliton led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 16.7% who said a unity government led by Netanyahu.Only 11.9% said they expected a unity government led by Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, 6.7% said a Center-Left government led by Gantz and 0.7% admitted that they do not know or refused to answer. The answers were different when respondents were asked what government they preferred and a fourth election was not an option. A Netanyahu-led right-wing government was preferred by 29.6% and a Netanyahu-led unity government by 14.8% for a total of 44.4% who want Netanyahu to be prime minister.The percentage who want a Gantz-led government was 41.2%, which includes 21.4% who want him to lead a unity government and 19.8% who want a Center-Left government. The percentage who want an other government is 10.2% and 4.2% do not know or refuse to answer.Asked about the possibility of a minority government back from outside the coalition by the Joint List, 37.8% said they strongly oppose it 18.9% moderately oppose it, 20.7% moderately support it, 7.3% strongly oppose it and 15.2% said they did not know or refused to answer.Regarding the coronavirus, 60.1% said they believed the Health Ministry was dealing with it properly, 28.8% said it was not and 11.1% declined to answer or said they did not know.Asked if they were afraid someone in their family would catch the virus, 33.5% said yes, 62% said no and 2.5% did not know or refused to answer.The poll was conducted from February 19 to 23 and had a margin of error of ± 3.7%.
