Poll Shows Likud Led by Netanyahu Getting Stronger

Although his legal issues continue to mount, polls show that the Likud led by Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu continues to remain strong – and the newest poll released Tuesday night shows the Likud growing even stronger. If elections were held today, the party would get 34 seats in a new Knesset, four more than it currently has. The poll was taken by the Geocartigraphia organization on behalf of Yisrael Hayom.

The poll also shows that Yesh Atid, led by Yair Lapid, is less popular than it has been. Recent polls have placed Yesh Atid’s strength at close to or even above 25 seats, but the new poll shows the party getting just 20 seats. Jewish Home, led by Naftali Bennett, would get 14 seats, while Zionist Camp would get just 12. Yisrael Beytenu would get six, Kulanu seven and Meretz six. United Torah Judaism, meanwhile, would get nine seats – the highest that party has ever polled. Shas would not garner enough votes for Knesset representation, according to the poll.

The poll was taken on Sunday, after police made their recommendations to prosecute Netanyahu in Case 1000, in which Netanyahu was accused of accepting extravagant gifts from millionaire Arnon Milchin, mostly cigars and champagne, and Case 2000, in which the prime minister allegedly leaned on the publishers of Yisrael Hayom to limit distribution of their free newspaper in order to benefit from better coverage in rival newspaper Yediot Acharonot­ – but before police announced that Netanyahu would be questioned in Case 4000, in which associates of Netanyahu are accused of providing benefits for former Bezeq chairman Shaul Elovich in return for favors.

In a social media post, Netanyahu said that the poll showed that despite the media campaign against him, the Israeli people were not stupid, and could sense the truth behind the media attacks.