Netanyahu set to win Israel election but rightists gain

עברית / عربي

About us| Services| Advertise| Contact us

Home

Districts

News

Analysis

Features

Culture

Economy

Region

Diaspora

Advanced

Netanyahu set to win Israel election but rightists gain

Published Friday 28/12/2012 (updated) 30/12/2012 10:53

Israel's Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom (L) and Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu attend the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem
Dec. 23. (Reuters/Sebastian Scheiner, Pool)

JERUSALEM (Reuters) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party is set to win a parliamentary election on Jan. 22 although the popularity of a far-right party opposed to Palestinian statehood is growing, polls showed on Friday.

Two out of three surveys showed the right-wing Likud losing voters to political newcomer Naftali Bennett's religious party Bayit Yehudi (Jewish Home) and to a fractured center-left bloc.

All still predicted a strong right-wing coalition emerging in the 120-seat parliament, which would assure Netanyahu another term.

The daily Yedioth Ahronoth published a poll with Likud winning 33 seats, four less than a month ago. A poll in the Jerusalem Post showed Likud fell to 34, down from 39 just two weeks ago. A survey by Maariv said Likud held ground at 37.

Without a majority in parliament, Likud would have to join forces with other parties to form a government. Netanyahu could choose Bennett and ultra-Orthodox religious parties or team up with members of the center-left bloc.

The left-leaning Labor party remained in second place in all the polls, winning 17 or 18 seats.

Bennett's party platform rejects a two-state solution with the Palestinians and is staunchly in favor of settlement building in the occupied West Bank - an issue which has stalled peace talks.

All the polls show him on an upward trend, winning between 12 and 14 seats.

1 ) Mitri I. Musleh / Canada

28/12/2012 15:22

If this poll proves correct, the current status quo would remain in enforce for the next 4 years. This is exactly what Israel’s administrators would like to maintain. The Palestinian leadership cannot afford four more years of this. There only option is to forget about the two state solution and struggle to achieve the one state solution. Bennett and the ultra-orthodox party supporters are already paving the road for the one state solution as they reject the two state solutions.

2 ) Long live Palestine / ICC

28/12/2012 15:55

No matter how many seats the settler from Poland, Moldavia or Russia have The mountain is high ..... Satanyahu and his settler friends are pushing already israhell down into destruction ...... Why not, I will like it, the world has begun to see the truth with big open eyes Palestine is now more important than anything else.

3 ) Dubner / USA

28/12/2012 17:41

I love the creative hatred employed by rabid Palestinians and their supporters: "settler from Poland, Moldavia or Russia", "Satanyahu", "israhell". It is funny to read and to decipher their illussions...and perhaps, disillusionment with ongoing failure of negotiations. Congratulations to Ma'an for their recognition by Forbes. This website is an opportunity for many Israel-haters to vent their anger for being ignored by the Jews and the West. Am Israel Chai!

4 ) Pal majority supports Hamas / Israelis need strong leaders

28/12/2012 21:26

This is a time in Israel's history when they need a strong nationalist government. Definitely not some mealy mouthed liberals and left-wingers that will give more Jewish land away for a promise of zilch and a guarantee of it becoming another terrorist base. Israel must not listen to the UN crap. Israel will only ever secure its borders by the deterrence of overwhelming force, proven by Hamas' chastened silence during the last month. It needs a government that is not afraid to use that force.

5 ) southparkbear / usa

28/12/2012 22:27

Dunber the kudos go to maan for letting us Israelis understand that the majority of palestinians pushed by professional haters do not accept a Jewish state. The conclusion, ignore palestinians until they raise a generation that can talk and listen. this will take at least 50 more years. So meanwhile we need more wall and to cement the grip on Eretz Israel

6 ) Jihane / Palestine/France

28/12/2012 23:23

@ Ma'an: sometimes I wonder if you're working for the Hasbara :-))) I quote: "...Likud party is set to win a parlimentary election (...) although the popularity of a far-right party opposed to Palestinian statehood ...". Yeah, because Likud isn't far-right itself, and it isn't opposed to Palestinian statehood, right ? Why don't you guys read the Likud Platform on Palestinian 'autonomy', i.e. GOYIMITUDE.

7 ) X / Canada

29/12/2012 08:37

# 3 Dubner, Go to the Jerusalem post or ahronot And take a look to what your brothers saying to Israeli arabs And Palestinians, you Will be ashamed.

8 ) gabi / australia

30/12/2012 01:50

Dubner - also go to Ynet and Haaretz and see what pro-Zionists say there - and cringe!

Name		Country
Comment Characters	Note: Comments will be reviewed for appropriate content. Click here for more details.

●	Hezbollah chief promises 'victory' in Syria conflict
●	Abbas: New govt within weeks
●	Israeli forces detain 2 Hebron men

About us| Services| Ma'an Images| Advertise| Contact us