Polls ahead of October elections in Israel show a deadlock
In Israel, ahead of elections due to take place in October, polls show no significant advantage for either the bloc of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or the opposition. The parties have already submitted their final candidate lists, and the campaign is taking place amid concerns about possible interference in the electoral process, The National reports.
Concerns about election integrity
According to a poll by the Israel Democracy Institute, 59% of Israel's Jewish citizens believe there is a high likelihood of domestic interference in the elections. Many Israelis also fear that the losing side may not recognize the voting results.
In another institute poll published a month earlier, 72% of Jewish Israelis said that the integrity of the elections was under threat. The publication notes that concerns are being heightened amid disputes within political blocs over campaign tactics and personal conflicts.
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Stable bloc ratings
Israeli pollster Dahlia Scheindlin told the publication that what surprises her most is the stability of the ratings of Netanyahu's bloc and the opposition bloc. According to her, no events are changing their positions in a statistically significant direction.
Scheindlin suggested that without a late strengthening of Netanyahu's position or unexpected coalition agreements, the country could get a transitional Netanyahu government until new elections are held. She also did not rule out a new cycle of voting.
Hebrew University researcher Ali Al-Awar called the elections a possible turning point for the Middle East and the Palestinian issue if Netanyahu loses power. Michael Hanna, director of the U.S. program at the International Crisis Group, believes that Netanyahu losing the post of prime minister could be beneficial for Israel, but would have limited significance for Washington-Israel relations, as these ties are deeply institutionalized.
