Poll: Yacimovich would defeat Herzog if Labor primaries were held now
In general population, poll finds Yacimovich leads current leader of party by 20 percentage points.
By ARIK BENDERUpdated: NOVEMBER 5, 2015 18:58MK Shelly Yacimovich(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
A new poll has found that if primaries for the leadership of the Labor party took place today, MK Shelly Yacimovich would unseat the current leader of the party Isaac Herzog.Yacimovich would receive 32% of the Zionist Union votes [name of party following the merger with the Hatnua party] and Herzog would win 27% according to the Panels Research poll taken for the Knesset Channel. In the general population that was polled, the gap in favor of Yacimovich for leader of the party is even greater, with Yacimovich receiving 30% of popular support versus 10% for Herzog.Yacimovich was leader of the party between 2011 and 2013. Coming in third place in the poll behind Yacimovich and Herzog was former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi. Despite not having yet announced his entry into politics or a decision to join the Labor leadership race, his support level was polled at 14% among party members and only 11% in the general population. MK Amir Peretz, who some believe will also vie for the head of the party after serving as its leader between 2005-2007, received only 2% support among party members and 3% support in the general population. Herzog has not yet decided when the primaries for the party are to take place and he was expected to decide on a date at the end of the month.