The first elections polls that follow Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s congressional address signal the Likud party has gained a measure of support but the battle for first place remains neck and neck with Labor/The Movement.

Channel 10 Poll:

The poll includes 952 respondents which includes 152 Israeli Arab citizens.

Labor/The Movement: 23

Likud: 23

Yesh Atid: 13

Arab Bloc: 13

Bayit Yehudi: 11

Kulanu: 10

Shas: 7

Yahadut Hatorah: 6

Yisrael Beitenu: 5

Meretz: 5

Yachad: 4

The poll also shows that 44% of voters prefer Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu as opposed to 35% of the voters who prefer Yitzchak Herzog.

Channel 2 Poll:

The poll was carried out by the Midgam Institute.

Labor/The Movement: 24

Likud: 23

Arab Bloc: 13

Yesh Atid: 12

Bayit Yehudi: 12

Kulanu: 8

Shas: 6

Yahadut Hatorah: 6

Yisrael Beitenu: 6

Meretz: 6

Yachad: 4

The poll also shows that 47% of voters prefer Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu as opposed to 28% of the voters who prefer Yitzchak Herzog.

In both polls the chareidi parties appear to be fighting to maintain their numbers. The Arab bloc on the other hand remains steady throughout the past weeks while Bayit Yehudi fails to climb out of the slump and is far from returning to the 16 seats party leaders thought were a reality a few weeks ago. Yesh Atid, which many believed was on the verge of fading away a few short weeks ago, continues its upward climb and is now among the top three or four parties. According to all recent polls, Eli Yishai’s Yachad party clears the minimum threshold to enter Knesset.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)