Two surveys published on Channel 2 and Channel 10 News on Wednesday evening do not bode well for Shas, which is on the verge of a threshold to enter Knesset.
In the Channel 2 poll, Shas received four Knesset seats, compared to eight mandates received by Yahadut Hatorah. The overall weighting of the poll shows that the chareidi right bloc plus 62 seats, while the Central Left bloc holds 46 Knesset seats.
Of Channel 10’s survey, which also receives four Knesset seats, but Yahadut Hatorah receives six seats. In addition to the chareidi parties, this camp stands at 59 seats, which means that Netanyahu was having trouble forming a coalition of 61.
A breakdown of the data in the Channel 2 survey is that the Likud receives 24 mandates, Machane Tzioni 21, Yesh Atid 20, Bayit Yehudi 12, Kulanu 8, Yisrael Beitenu 6, Meretz 5, and the Arab parties 12 seats.
A breakdown of the data in the Channel 10 survey shows that the Likud with 26 mandates has a future with 22 seats, Machane Tzioni with 19, the Arab parties with 12, Bayit Yehudi with 11, Meretz surprising and receiving 8 seats, Kulanu 7 seats, Yahadut Hatorah 6, Yisrael Beitenu 5, and Shas closes the list with only 4 Knesset seats.
Deri, in his usual fashion, issues statements of calm and reassurance, telling voters polls are generally not accurate. In this case however, there is also the matter of reports that Deri is likely to face a criminal indictment in the ongoing investigation(s) against him, which would deliver another blow to Shas.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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2 Responses
The last time Deri was indicted Shas gained several seats.
Shas has been steadily and consistently losing steam for close to 20 years now. It peaked in 1999 when it received 17 seats but in the following elections it fell to 11 seats and in the last elections it received only 7 seats. Since then, virtually every poll has shown it continuing to decline, possibly to the point of extinction. Very few people see Deri as a victim anymore and with Deri leading the party – and without harav Ovadia – it is doubtful that Shas will ever surpass 7 seats and it will likely continue its long decline. When and whether it will decline to extinction has yet to be seen.