By: TPS Staff
After lagging behind its main rival Blue and White in the polls in recent months, Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud has taken the lead just a week ahead of the elections, according to several polls published Monday.
Several polls published in the last 24 hours project that Likud is in the lead with 35 seats, and Blue and White is right behind with 34 seats.
The right-wing block, led by Likud, is projected to receive 57 mandates, still four short of the 61 required to form a government.
Blue and White and the left receive only 44 mandates.
Israel will go out in a week to vote for its leadership, the third time in the past year.
The right-wing and religious parties, who are natural coalition partners, are expressing optimism over the prospects of achieving the 61 required seats and forming a government.
However, political pundits have said that unless some real surprise or miracle occurs, Israel may be forced to face a fourth round of elections.
In December, AP reported that Netanyahu scored a landslide victory in a primary race for leadership of the ruling Likud party, which gave him an important boost ahead of the country’s third election in less than a year.
The strong showing by Israel’s longest-serving leader could give him another opportunity to form a government following the March election, after falling short in two previous attempts this year. By easily fending off Likud lawmaker Gideon Saar, Netanyahu also kept alive his hopes of winning immunity from prosecution after being indicted last month on a series of corruption charges.
“A giant victory,” Netanyahu tweeted early Friday, just over an hour after polls closed.
“Thanks to the members of Likud for the trust, support and love,” he added. “God willing, I will lead Likud to a big victory in the coming elections.”
In a tweet, Saar congratulated Netanyahu and said he would support the prime minister in the national election. “I am absolutely comfortable with my decision to run,” he added. “Whoever isn’t ready to take a risk for the path he believes in will never win.”
Official results released by Likud showed Netanyahu capturing 41,792 votes, or 72%, compared with 15,885 votes, or 28%, for Saar.
In September’s election, both Likud and its main rival, the centrist Blue and White party, were unable to secure a parliamentary majority and form a government on their own.
The two parties together captured a solid majority of parliamentary seats, leaving a national unity government as the best way out of the crisis. But Blue and White has refused to sit in a partnership with Netanyahu when he is under indictment.
Opinion polls predict a similar outcome in the March election, raising the possibility of months of continued paralysis. The country already has been run by a caretaker government for the past year.
Netanyahu, who has led the country for the past decade, maintained his position atop the political right by cultivating an image as a veteran statesman with close ties to U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and other world leaders.
(TPS & AP)
