Israel Radio Poll Shows Right Running Away With Election

Jan. 3, 2013

An Israel Radio poll shows the Bayit Yehudi and Oztma Leyisrael party getting a combined total of 24 seats in the next Knesset.

Young Bayit Yehudi supporters

 In contrast to more “conservative” polls released Thursday, the weekly poll taken on behalf of Israel Radio by the Geocartographia polling organization shows the solid right trouncing the left, and even the center, in the Knesset elections set for two and a half weeks from now. The poll shows Naftali Bennett's Bayit Yehudi party hitting 18 seats, tied for second largest party with Labor – and shows the Otzma Leyisrael Party, led by MKs Aryeh Eldad and Michael Ben-Ari, as getting six seats in the Knesset.


If accurate, the poll indicates that together, Bayit Yehudi and Otzma Leyisrael parties would act as “kingmakers,” making establishment of any government without them virtually impossible.


In the Geocartographia poll, the joint Likud/Yisrael Beiteinu list stabilizes its support level at 35, down one from last week. The increased strength for the Bayit Yehudi and Otzma LeYisrael parties seems to be coming from Shas, which, expected to receive 8 seats, weakens noticeably in the poll; last week Shas polled at 12 seats. There was also weakening among center-left parties Hatnua and Yesh Atid, which are polling at 6 and 5 seats respectively. Last week, the Geocartographia poll showed Yesh Atid with 10 seats


Also strengthening is United Torah Jewry, which, according to the poll, would receive 7 seats, as would Meretz. The two Arab parties would receive 3 and 4 seats respectively, and far left Hadash would receive 4, according to the poll. Not making it past the minimum number of votes for Knesset representation are Am Shalem, Kadima, and Koach Lehashpia, the new party of Rabbi Amnon Yitzchak.


The poll was taken of a sample of 500 respondents and has a 4.2% margin of error, the polling organization said. Experts said that as the elections get closer, more voters make up their minds, and the polls tend to reflect more realistic results.

Source: INN