Poll puts Netanyahu-opposed parties ahead in Israel’s parliament

A Channel 12 poll in Israel found that parties opposed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could win 67 of the 120 seats in the Knesset, the country’s parliament.

Netanyahu’s governing coalition was projected to win 49 seats, while a third group was projected to win four.

The poll was conducted on October 12 among 509 people aged 18 and over, and its stated margin of error was up to 4.4 percentage points.

The opposition total included 13 seats for parties representing Palestinian citizens of Israel.

A party led by Gadi Eisenkot was projected to win 23 seats, more than Netanyahu’s Likud party, which was projected to win 20.

In a separate question, 45% said Eisenkot was more suited to be prime minister, compared with 35% for Netanyahu; the poll also showed Netanyahu ahead of Avigdor Lieberman and narrowly behind Naftali Bennett.

A government needs support from at least 61 Knesset members, so the poll suggests the opposition bloc could have enough seats to form one, but it is a survey rather than an election result.