Yamina MK Idit Silman's resignation as coalition chairperson Wednesday continued to shake Israel's political system on Thursday with the media venturing that, having lost its majority in parliament, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's government would be unable to survive for much longer.
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Polls by Israel's three major news channels all showed that Silman's exit gave Likud an electoral boost, although all three also found that were elections held at this time, the Right and Center-Left bloc would still be virtually tied, predicting political uncertainty for the country.
A survey by Kan 11 News gave Likud 35 Knesset seats, followed by Yesh Atid (19), Blue and White (8), Religious Zionist Party (8)m Sephardi ultra-Orthodox party Shas (8), Ashkenazi Haredi party United Torah Judaism (7), Yamina (6), the Joint Arab List (6), Labor (5), Meretz (5) New Hope (5), Yisrael Beytenu (4) and Ra'am (4).
These results predict 58 mandates for Opposition Leader Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing bloc and 56 mandates for the Center-Left bloc, with the Joint Arab List's seats excluded from the count.
Any political leader striving to form a government must secure 61 seats in parliament.
Asked whether they supported Silman's move, 38% of those who participated in Kan 11 News' poll said she did the right thing, 43% opposed the move, and 19% were undecided.
A poll by Channel 12 News also placed Likud on top with 35 mandates, second by Yesh Atid (17) and followed by Shas (9), Blue and White (8),
Religious Zionist Party (7), United Torah Judaism (7), Labor (7), the Joint Arab List (6), Yamina (5), Meretz (5), Yisrael Beytenu (5), Ra'am (5), and New Hope (4).
These results, excluding the Joint Arab List, also give the Right 58 Knesset seats to the Center-Left's 56.
Some 34% of those polled by Channel 12 News said the current government should stay in power despite losing majority, 29% said an alternative government headed by Netanyahu should be formed sans the Knesset dissolving, and 24% said early elections should be called.
Channel 13 News found that were elections held at this time, Likud would win 38 Knesset seats, followed by Yesh Atid (17), Blue and White (9), Religious Zionist Party (8), Shas (7), Yamina (7), Labor (6), the Joint Arab List (6), Yisrael Beytenu (6), Meretz (5), and Ra'am (4).
Gideon Sa'ar's New Hope party would fail to cross the four-seat electoral threshold, the survey said.
These results, excluding the Joint Arab List, give the Right 60 Knesset seats to the Center-Left bloc's 54.
Channel 13 News asked respondents who was best suited to be prime minister: 47% named Netanyahu, 13% chose Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, 10% said Bennett, 5% named Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, and 3% opted for Sa'ar. Some 22% were undecided.
Asked whether they believed the opposition would be able to convince at least one more coalition MK to cross over, 55% said it was a likely scenario, 16% said it was unlikely, and 29% were undecided.
Asked whether a future coalition should strive to include the Joint Arab List, whose votes could spare Israel from again plunging into a seemingly endless election run, 60% of the respondents opposed such a move, 21% supported, and 19% were undecided.
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