The joint Likud-Yisrael Beytenu list will receive 39 seats in the coming Knesset election, according to a poll conducted for Israel Hayom by the New Wave Research Institute. The poll also found that Labor would come in second with 20 seats. The poll was based on the responses of a representative sample of 620 Israelis, ages 18 and older. On the question of who is most suited to lead the country, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received far more support (32.8 percent) than any of his rivals. Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who has not yet announced whether he will return to politics, came in second at 13.7 percent. Labor Chairwoman Shelly Yachimovich came third, with 11.8%, while Tzipi Livni, Shaul Mofaz, Yair Lapid and Avigdor Lieberman all received single-digit support. According to the poll, the right-wing bloc (Likud-Yisrael Beytenu, Shas, Jewish Home-National Union and United Torah Judaism) will receive at least 65 seats. With Lapid not ruling out the possibility of his Yesh Atid party joining a Netanyahu-led coalition, the right-wing bloc could grow by another 10 seats. According to the poll, Shas will receive 11 seats, the Jewish Home-National Union 10 and United Torah Judaism five. On the center-left side of the political spectrum, only Labor has reason to be enthusiastic, as it is expected to win seven more seats than the 13 it received in the last election. The poll found that Livni's newly established Hatnuah party would receive seven seats. Kadima will fall just short of the threshold for Knesset representation (expected to be around three seats). Meretz will win four seats, one more than it currently holds, according to the poll. On the question of voter turnout, 67.2% of respondents said that they planned to vote in the election, set for Jan. 22. The poll found a higher level of motivation to vote among leftist voters than rightist ones, with centrist voters showing the highest level of indifference.
