A new poll has shown that, if Israeli elections were held today, the right-of-center parties would win a substantial majority in the Knesset of 73 seats, with the left-of-center parties garnering only 37 seats and the Arab parties 10 seats. Outside of the Arab parties, this amounts to overwhelming 2 to 1 victory for the right-of-center parties over the parties of the left-of-center.

The poll carried out by Magaar Mohot Survey Institute during October 5-6, found that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud would rise from its current 27 seats to 33 seats; Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beiteinu would rise from 15 seats to 21 seats; Yahadut Hatorah would remain stable on five seats, as would the Jewish Home/National Religious Party list on three seats; and only Shas and National Union parties would decline (from 11 seats to nine and from four seats to two, respectively).

In contrast, Tzipi Livni’s Kadima, the main opposition party, would slip from its current total of 28 seats to 26; Ehud Barak’s Labor, though in the current governing coalition, would slip from 13 seats to nine; Meretz would fall from three seats to two; and the Arab parties, which at present command 11 seats, would slip to 10 seats (‘Maagar Mohot Poll: Right 73 Left 37 Arabs 10,’ Independent Media Review Analysis, October 7, 2010).

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “There is little doubt that this poll confirms the results of earlier polling, not least the 2009 elections themselves, showing the Israeli public rejects the view that Israeli concessions are the key to solving the problem with the Palestinians and the Arab world and that they continue to oppose by a substantial majority parties of the left of center that advocate further one-sided concessions to the Palestinians as an essential element of their platforms.

“The Israeli public does not believe that signed agreements with the Palestinians will produce peace, for which reason Israelis also oppose major concessions to the Palestinians, even in return for such agreements. The policy of the unilateral withdrawals, which was at the heart of Kadima’s founding and its 2006 election platform, is clearly not accepted by the Israeli electorate today and the drop in Kadima’s share of the seats that would follow an election were it held today reflects this. The same applies for Labor, which would lose even more seats from its already poor electoral showing, even though it is a member of the governing coalition, and even more to Meretz, which has dropped in this poll from merely three seats to only two.

“The experience of repeated efforts at peace-making since the Oslo Accords in 1993 has disproved the idea that a negotiated peace with the Palestinians can be achieved under current conditions. Even since the collapse of the Oslo process in 2000, Israel has tried negotiations, unilateral withdrawals and confidence building measures, to no effect. It has uprooted 10,000 Jews from their homes in order to evacuate territory. It has freed hundreds of unrepentant terrorists as good-will gestures. It has given arms and released revenues to the PA and permitted supplies into Gaza – yet has received only more rocket attacks, more terror and more insecurity.

“In short, bitter experience has made Israelis aware in ever greater numbers that a path of continued concessions will simply lead to more terror and disaster. Israelis are telling their leaders that they desire no more one-sided concessions 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.”