The results of a Channel 2 news poll published yesterday showing that the Zionist Union, headed by chairman and opposition leader MK Isaac Herzog, would get just 17 Knesset seats (down from the current 24) if new elections were held now have aroused severe criticism of him. Because of these poor results and public opposition to the Zionist Union joining the coalition, Zionist Union members have called on Herzog to immediately break off his talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"Herzog's desperation at his personal plight is leading him on a suicidal path, and he has decided to drag the entire party down with him," a senior Labor Party official said after the survey was published. "He has got to sober up, and quickly, and realize that the national and party interest takes precedence over his own."
MK Erel Margalit (Zionist Union) responded to the survey results yesterday by calling on Herzog to end his negotiations with the prime minister. "This crawling to Netanyahu must end tonight, before we have more meetings with him than voters," Margalit said. "The Labor Party can again be an alternative when it resumes being a fighting opposition, instead of a coalition party-in-waiting."
"One Knesset member more or less for the Zionist Union or Yesh Atid will change nothing," added MK Yoel Hasson (Zionist Union). "The real goal is to transfer Knesset seats from the messianic right wing to the center democratic bloc, thereby putting Israel back on a sane and correct path."
MK Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin (Zionist Union) said that there was no doubt that internal disputes in the Zionist Union were clear in the latest poll. "I believe that we'll succeed in uniting our ranks around the same principles on which we stood in the elections, and once again become a big and dominant party that influences the public agenda," she declared.
According to the Channel 2 poll conducted by Dr. Mina Tzemach and Meno Geva of the Midgam Institute, only 24% of the public expressed support for the Zionist Union's joining the coalition, while a decisive 52% majority opposed it. Only 36% of Zionist Union voters supported entering the government, while 60% were opposed.
The survey also revealed some changes in public sentiment, compared with the results of the last elections. Were elections to beheld now, the Likud would receive 27 Knesset seats, and Yesh Atid, led by chairman MK Yair Lapid, would be the second largest party with 18 seats, almost as many as it had in the previous Knesset. The Zionist Union would win 17 seats, following the coalition negotiations and criticism of Herzog.
The Joint Arab List would retain 13 Knesset seats, and the Jewish Home Party would increase to 10 seats. Yisrael Beitenu, led by chairman MK Avigdor Liberman, would rise to nine seats, while Kulanu, led by chairman and Minister of Finance MK Moshe Kahlon would drop to seven seats. The poll also predicted that United Torah Judaism would get seven Knesset seats, while Shas, led by chairman MK Aryeh Deri, would lose one seat, leaving it with six. Meretz would rise to six seats.
Channel 2 reported yesterday for the first time that Herzog and Netanyahu had met yesterday at the prime minister's residence on Balfour St. in Jerusalem. They talked for several hours, but achieved no progress. The obstacles to Herzog joining the government are the natural gas plan, the non-profit organizations bill, the bill prohibiting non-profit organizations from accepting donations in excess of NIS 1,000, and the bill for suspending MKs. On the other hand, a formula was found on foreign policy satisfactory to both parties.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on May 17, 2016
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