Israel’s ruling coalition led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would likely lose the next elections if they were held today, according to a new poll released Monday.
The survey conducted by Israel’s Channel 12 News and public broadcaster Kan showed that the coalition would not be able to achieve a clear majority in parliament.
Netanyahu’s Likud party, Religious Zionism, Shas and United Torah Judaism – would not come out of the 61 seats needed for a majority in the 120-seat parliament.
According to the opinion polls, Netanyahu’s coalition could best collect between 53-54 seats.
Meanwhile the opposition, consisting of the National Unity Party, Yesh Atid, Yisrael Beytenu, Meretz, United Arab List and Labor would probably win 61 seats.
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Netanyahu, Israel’s longest-serving prime minister, who led the government from 1996 to 1999 and again between 2009 and 2021, returned to power after his Likud party, far-right religious factions and ultra-Orthodox parties get 64 seats in December.
His government has pushed for a controversial judicial reform plan that has sparked mass protests for a week since January.
Events took a dramatic turn over the weekend after Netanyahu fired Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, a day after he called for the judicial reforms to be suspended.
Netanyahu announced a temporary pause in the overhaul on Monday following unprecedented strikes, protest action and the army’s military crackdown.
The proposed judicial reforms being pushed by the Netanyahu coalition would give parliament the power to override Supreme Court decisions through a simple majority vote, and de facto control over court nominees, a role currently played by a mixed panel of politicians, judges and the bar. association members.
It would also limit the court’s ability to overturn legislation that conflicts with the country’s semi-constitutional basic laws.