As the Knesset completes its final days before dissolving and moving to a transition government, a Walla News poll shows that if elections were held today, Likud, Bayit Yehudi, and Yisrael Beitenu would receive 52 seats, nine more mandates then the three parties have today.

The TNS Teleseker poll was conducted on Tuesday evening 10 Kislev after the announcement of the firing of Ministers Yair Lapid and Tzipi Livni.

Parenthesis indicate the number of seats in the current Knesset:

Likud: 23 (18)

Bayit Yehudi 17 (12)

Labor 12 (15)

Yisrael Beitenu 12 (13)

Yesh Atid 11 (19)

Moshe Kahlon 10 (0)

Yahadut Hatorah 8 (7)

Shas 7 (11)

Meretz 5 (6)

The Movement 5 (6)

Kadima 0 (2)

Arab Parties 10 (11)

Who is most suited to serve as prime minister?

31% Binyamin Netanyahu

12.9% Yitzchak Herzog

9.7% Naftali Bennett

9.3 Moshe Kahlon

6.9% Yair Lapid

6.4 Avigdor Lieberman

This means if Shas and Yahadut Hatorah are willing to join the right-wing formula above, a coalition of 67 can be formed.

The centrist/left-wing results are less encouraging as Labor, Yesh Atid and The Movement earn a combined 28 seats as compared to the 40 seats they hold in the current Knesset. Labor declines but maintains stability while Yesh Atid is almost cut in half.

This leaves Moshe Kahlon, a Sephardi Jew with roots in Likud. His campaign will highlight social issues and place less of an emphasis on right-wing/left-wing issues. At present, it remains unclear which coalition he would prefer, a man with right-wing roots yet an economic hashkafa more in line with the Labor party and its natural allies. He left Likud after coming to the realization he cannot come to terms with Mr. Netanyahu’s capitalistic outlook and social policies.

The poll included 500 respondents over the age of 18, who represent a cross-section of Israeli adults. The margin of error is two seats.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)