While Kadima is collapsing in public opinion, favor is returning for the Likud party. According to the poll, Likud would triumph in hypothetical elections with a full 32 mandates.
Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu was perceived as the person best suited to serve as prime minister, earning 34 percent support and beating out his competitors by a large margin.
After Netanyahu, those surveyed favored Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Labor Knesset Member Ami Ayalon, who each earned the support of 16 percent, then Ehud Barak with 8 percent. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert trailed with only 3 percent of the vote.
Those polled pledged their votes for the political parties as follows:
Likud: 32 mandates
Israel Our Home: 10
Kadima: 9
Labor: 9
Shas: 8
National Union-NRP: 6
United Torah Judaism: 5
Meretz: 4
Pensioners: 3
Undecided: 24
Total: 120
The Likud’s reemergence after its failure in the last elections – when it received only 12 mandates – was particularly notable, as was Kadima’s significant drop from 29 to only nine mandates.
