Latest Poll Shows Netanyahu Caught Up With Gantz

The lead enjoyed by Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party over Binyamin Netanyahu’s Likud has dissolved, as both showed 30 mandates in a poll released on Thursday.

Far behind were Labor with 10 seats; the Union of Right-Wing Parties, United Torah Judaism, Zehut and Hadash-Ta’al with 7 each; the New Right and Meretz with 5; and Kulanu, Shas and Ra’am-Balad just over the electoral threshold with four seats apiece.

Asked who was better suited to be prime minister, 51 percent of poll respondents say incumbent Netanyahu, versus 36 percent who said Gantz.

The combined numbers give Netanyahu an advantage in forming a coalition after elections on April 9, as Likud, Union of Right-Wing Parties, New Right, Shas, United Torah Judaism, Kulanu, Yisrael Beytenu, and Zehut could theoretically populate a majority of 64 seats.

The new poll was conducted by the Midgam polling firm’s Mano Geva and Mina Tzemach for Channel 13.

Another poll, conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute, indicated that most Israelis think that President Donald Trump’s decision to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights will help toward his reelection.

The poll found that 74 percent of the Right, 54 percent of the Center and 59 percent of the Left say that Trump’s proclamation will serve the prime minister well.

Respondents to this March 2019 poll also expressed the opinion that the U.S. decision was in Israel’s national interest. Israeli Arabs were less positive. Most said they did not know, but those who did have an opinion 28 percent said that it would harm the country’s interests.