Pre-vote polls show Netanyahu’s party behind rival

Recently published opinion surveys suggest that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud Party will be four seats behind the opposition Zionist Union coalition.

A poll released by the Yediot Aharonot newspaper on Friday showed that the Zionist Union coalition, an alliance of the Labor party, led by Isaac Herzog, and former Minister for foreign affairs Tzipi Livni’s Hatnua party, would win 26 of the 120 parliament seats.

The ruling party is expected to win 22 seats, while The Joint List, a newly formed Arab alliance, would come in third place, winning 13 seats, according to the poll.

The newspaper added that the poll had a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.

Another poll, which was jointly published by the J-Post and Maariv, showed a four-seat difference between the two leading parties, with the Zionist Union gaining 25 seats and Likud 21.

The survey also showed The Joint List would win 13 seats.

The polls come as Israelis prepare to take part in parliamentary elections on March 17.

On March 12, Netanyahu acknowledged that his right-wing Likud party was at risk of losing in the vote.