For 1st, Polls Show Bibi Leading Gantz But Deadlock Remains

By Staff, Agencies

Two major polls released Sunday evening show that embattled “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has taken a small lead over chief rival Benny Gantz just a week before the “Israeli” entity’s general election.

According to surveys published by the entity’s Channel 12 and public broadcaster Kan, Netanyahu Likud party is up one seat over the centrist Blue & White alliance. The Channel 12 poll gives Likud a 34 to 33 advantage in the race, while the Kan survey shows 35 seats for Likud and 34 for Blue & White.

For most of this election cycle, the third in under a year, Gantz's Blue & White had built a small but comfortable lead over the incumbent prime minister.

But experts believe that the fallout from the announcement of an investigation into Gantz's former security company, Fifth Dimension, has hurt the opposition leader. Gantz is currently not a suspect in the probe.

Despite the shifting mood in the electorate, political deadlock still remains, with neither side projected to form a majority bloc of 61 seats in the 120 seat Knesset.

Moreover, Netanyahu is expected to start his trial on corruption charges in a court in al-Quds [Jerusalem] just days after “Israelis” go to the polls, where he faces the prospect of negotiating with coalition partners while fighting to stay out of prison.

Netanyahu, who is charged with bribery, fraud and breach of public trust, denies all accusations of wrongdoing.