Poll Shows Blocs Still Blocked

The Likud and Blue and White parties are locked in a deadly tie in the coming elections, in which neither will be able to assemble enough support to form a governing coalition, according to a poll published by Channel 13 on Thursday night.

As such, the findings were consistent with recent polls, with some slight differences.

This time out, it said that if elections were held now, Likud and Blue and White would have 32 seats each. Yisrael Beyteinu would finish third with 11 seats, the United Arab List and Yamina would win 10 seats each. United Torah Judaism would receive eight seats, the Democratic Union and Shas would get six seats each (less than previous polls gave Shas). The Labor-Gesher list would receive five seats. Otzma Yehudit would fail to cross the electoral threshold (although a Knesset Channel poll earlier in the day indicated the far-right party would cross the electoral threshhold, the first time anyone has predicted it).

According to the poll, the right-wing bloc would receive 56 seats without Avigdor Liberman’s Yisrael Beyteinu party, while the left-wing and Arab bloc would receive 53 seats.

Meanwhile, Yamina got a boost as three senior members of Moshe Feiglin’s Zehut party gave it their endorsement. In a press conference, Gilad Alper, Libby Molad and Refael Minnes called on other party members and supporters to vote for Yamina. Zehut dropped out of the race last week, bowing to pressure from Prime Minister Netanyahu, according to Arutz Sheva.

Yamina’s No. 4, Naftali Bennett, said the rumors were true that in any coalition government which includes Yamina, party chairwoman Ayelet Shaked has agreed to give the senior post to him.

He also confirmed that after the election the New Right party under Bennett and Shaked will operate on its own as a faction independent of the National Union and the Jewish Home, The Times of Israel reported.