A new Israeli survey showed for the very first time a clear possibility that right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu may be defeated in upcoming general elections, leaving his rival candidate, former general Benny Gantz, with the task of forming a new government.
The results coincided with former Prime Minister Ehud Barak announcing his return to politics as the leader of a new party in the upcoming September 17 polls.
The survey, published by Channel 13, showed that the Likud and the opposition Blue and White party would garner 32 seats apiece. The Joint List, an alliance of four Arab majority parties that ran together in the 2015 elections, announced last week it would reunite for the vote. The four parties, which ran on two separate slates in April’s elections, currently have 10 seats between them and would have 12.
Shas and United Torah Judaism would each drop from eight seats to six, while the left-wing Meretz would jump from four to six. Overall, the survey said the center-left and Arab parties together would pick up 61 seats, while right-wing factions would get 52.
These results were the same as ones reached by secret surveys conducted by Netanyahu’s office in the past weeks, prompting him to seek the cancellation of the polls, but he failed.
Barak’s decision to enter the political fray will ignite the political battle as Gantz was coolly running his campaign against Netanyahu. The former PM accused Gantz of running a “sleepy” opposition, saying it should “wake up.”
Directly addressing Gantz, he said that Israel was facing the “threat of destruction and you are running a cold battle that people are barely feeling.”
Barak convened a press briefing Wednesday afternoon during which he announced that he will establish a new party for the elections.
"I have known Netanyahu for more than 50 years. I have seen him in beautiful and painful moments. Netanyahu is at the end of his path, and his closest associates, including his colleagues in the faction and the government, know this. Most of them are gripped by silence and fear. As your former commander, I say to you, Netanyahu: You cannot continue to hold the steering wheel of leadership. Your time as a political leader is over,” he said.
"My brothers in arms… I tell you that our rivalry is with Netanyahu and his way,” Barak stated.
