According to the election poll released on Wednesday afternoon, February 20, 2019 by Walla News, a merger between Yair Lapid and his Yesh Atid party and Benny Gantz and his Israel Resilience party, would place them in first place, ahead of Likud.
The comprehensive poll examines a number of merger options involving Benny Gantz, Yair Lapid, Moshe Ya’alon and Orly Abekasis-Levi.
Likud 31
Israeli Resilience 19
Yesh Atid 13
Labor 9
New Right 8
Yahadut Hatorah 7
Ta’al 6
Meretz 5
Bayit Yehudi/Ichud Leumi 5
Arab List 5
Kulanu 4
Gesher 4
Shas 4
The poll states that under the current reality, three right-wing parties do not enter Knesset, failing to receive 3.5% of the popular vote;
• Yisrael Beitenu (2.9%), and
• Otzma Yehudit (2.8%), providing the deal with Bayit Yehudi falls through and it runs alone
• Zehut (1.7%)
• In addition, the Green Leaf party only received 1% of the vote. The Green Leaf party has run in a number of past elections with a platform to legalize marijuana.
It is added that talks are continuing on Wednesday afternoon between Gantz and Lapid as well as Gesher (Orly Abekasis-Levi). The poll adds if Gesher joins Gantz’s party, the result is 23 seats, the same as if they run on their own.
However, if Gantz (19 seats) merges with Lapid (12 seats), they receive 34 seats, as the merger adds three seats, placing them ahead of Likud by one seat. This scenario wipes out the Gesher party, and the Likud gains two additional seats, resulting in the right-wing bloc growing to 61 seats.
Poll following a mergers
Gantz/Lapid/Abekasis-Levi 36
Likud 33
New Right 8
Yahadut Hatorah 7
Labor 7
Ta’al 6
Meretz 5
Bayit Yehudi/Ichud Leumi 5
Arab List 5
Kulanu 5
Shas 4
The poll was conducted in cooperation with Panels Politics headed by Menachem Lazar, polling 1,049 respondents who are representative of the adult Jewish and Arab voting public. The margin of error is +/- 3.3%.
Different merger scenario
Gantz/Lapid/Ya’alon 34
Likud 33
Labor 9
New Right 8
Yahadut Hatorah 7
Ta’al 6
Meretz 5
Bayit Yehudit/Ichud Leumi 5
Arab List 5
Kulanu 4
Shas 4
If Abekasis-Levi merges with Moshe Ya’alon, who will you vote for?
Likud 31
Gantz/Abekasis-Levi 23
Yesh Atid 13
Labor 9
New Right 8
Yahadut Hatorah 7
Ta’al 6
Meretz 5
Bayit Yehudi 5
Arab List 5
Kulanu 4
Shas 4
Unrelated to the Walla poll, it is reported on Wednesday afternoon that PM Netanyahu remains tenacious in efforts to combine the right-wing parties under a single umbrella, so much so, that he reportedly has offered the 28th slot on the Likud list, a ‘realistic slot’ to enter Knesset, to a member of Bayit Yehudi, towards a unity deal to beat out Benny Gantz and Yair Lapid.
(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
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One Response
Correct English please YWN. From your title it seems that terrible merger was already a done deal while the article explains that it is still only a possibility. May Hashem have mercy and weaken the left while strengthening the right.