Netanyahu Lead Narrows in Israel Poll as Jewish Home Party Gains

[Purveyor]

By Calev Ben-David - Jan 2, 2013
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud-Beitenu election list recorded another drop in a new poll by Haaretz daily, as the Jewish Home faction, which supports building West Bank settlements, continued to gain.

Likud-Beitenu would win 34 parliamentary seats according to today’s poll, down from 35 in a Dec. 31 Haaretz survey and 39 on Dec. 10. Parties likely to support Netanyahu’s efforts to form a new coalition after the Jan. 22 vote would still gain more than half of the seats in Israel’s 120-seat parliament, the Knesset.

Among the parties expressing support for Netanyahu as premier is Jewish Home, which opposes concessions to the Palestinians in the peace process. Jewish Home would gain 14 seats according to today’s poll, up one from Dec. 31 and five from Dec. 10.

Likud-Beitenu’s decline “is in part a result of mistakes in its campaign strategy,” according to Tamir Sheafer, a professor in the Hebrew University’s political science department.

He cited Netanyahu’s criticism of Jewish Home last month after its leader Naftali Bennett said that as a soldier he would refuse orders to evacuate West Bank settlements. “Those attacks only gave Jewish Home more publicity,” Sheafer said.

MORE...

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/print/2013-01-02/netanyahu-lead-narrows-in-israel-poll-as-jewish-home-party-gains.html

[bunnies]

1. So... a FURTHER right party is gaining support?

Am I reading that right?

[Purveyor]

2. Yep. Extreme 'right-wing', imo. eom

[bunnies]

3. oh FFS.

I was just reading an OP in IP about how the majority of (even RW) Israelis support a Palestinian state. WHY would this party be gaining strength if that were the case? I just dont get it.

& on edit: Why are posts on this topic always so empty? Its like a third rail around here...