A new poll has found that Israelis today would award 78 Knesset seats to parties of the right-of-center as opposed to a mere 38 seats it would award to parties of the left- of-center. The poll, carried out on 11-12 November by Dialog for the Haaretz newspaper found that, today, Likud would rise six seats from its present 27 seats to 33 seats; Yisrael Beiteinu would drop one seat to 14 seats; Shas would drop from 11 seats to nine; Yahadut Hatorah would rise from five seats to six seats; the National Union would rise from four seats to seven; and Jewish Home would remain with three seats. In all, the national camp would rise from the 65 seats it obtained in the election earlier this year to 72 seats.

Conversely, Kadima, presently with 28 seats would gain one more; Labor would drop from 13 seats to a mere six seats; and Meretz would remain stable on three seats, resulting in the left-of-center parties dropping from the 44 seats they obtained in the election to a mere 38 seats. The Arab parties would drop from 11 current seats to 10 seats (‘Haaretz Poll: National camp 72 seats Kadima 29 Labor 6 Meretz 3,’ Independent Media Review & Analysis, November 13, 2009).

ZOA National Chairman of the Board Dr. Michael Goldblatt said, “When, in February 2009, the Israeli electorate gave a clear majority of 65 seats to the right-of-center parties, as opposed to 44 seats for the left-of-center parties, we said that the Israeli public was displaying strong opposition to a continued, concessionary policy towards the Palestinians. We also noted at the time that several polls had indicated as much as well, as have others since. Today, if an election was held, the results would be even more lop-sided in favor of the right-of-center parties. This confirms that the opposition of the Israeli public to a concessionary policy with an unreconstructed Palestinian leadership and society has become even firmer, not weaker.

“It would also appear that, just as Kadima lost much support in the last election because the electorate has moved rightwards yet suffered only the loss of one seat from the previous election because it picked up the vote of defectors from Labor and Meretz, something similar would likely happen today. Thus, in this poll, Kadima actually gains a seat, but Labor loses over half of its Knesset representation and the overall left-of-center Knesset representation declines.

“This poll suggests that Israelis are telling their leaders – no more one-sided concessions should even be considered to unreconstructed terror groups. If peace is to become a prospect, transformation of Palestinian society into a peaceable society that accepts Israel’s existence as a Jewish state is a prerequisite for any further concessions.”