A poll released in the Friday 22 Teves edition of Maariv asks respondents who they would vote for if they had to elect a prime minister today. In line with recent other polls, Yesh Atid comes out on top, with 26 seats, which means Yair Lapid would likely become the next prime minister. Likud is once again in second place, with 23 seats, continuing to drop in popularity. The opposition leader, Machane Tzioni; continues to crumble, emerging with 9 seats as compared to today’s 24. Bayit Yehudi earns 13 seats, an increase of 5 from the Knesset today.

The Yisrael Beitenu party headed by Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman would earns 7 seats, one more than today and Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon’s Kulanu party would drop from 10 to 7 seats. Both Shas and Meretz earn 7 seats; leaving Shas at its current number while Meretz gains 2 seats.

Yahadut Hatorah increases from 6 to 8 seats and the Arab Bloc remains at 13.

The poll also asked respondents how they would vote if former IDF Chief Gabi Ashkenazi held the second slot in Yesh Atid; a move that would bring him four additional seats, to 30.

If former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon runs under a new party he would earn 8 seats and if Gabi Ashkenazi is moved to head Machane Tzioni, it would earn 15 seats instead of 9.

And yet another scenario checked by the survey is Naftali Bennett running as the head of Likud instead of Bayit Yehudi and this would bring 29 seats, beating out Yesh Atid by 2 seats, providing Ashkenazi is not number two in Yesh Atid, which then leaves Likud one seat behind Yesh Atid.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)