Photo Credit: Source: Wall, Photo by Hadas Parush/Flash90

One day after MK Yair Lapid announced he was giving up the PM rotation with Blue&White chairman Benny Gantz, and one day before the deadline for a third election campaign, Blue&White is getting stronger and opens up a gap of two mandate over the Likud, according to a Tuesday Walla poll conducted by Midgam institute headed by Mano Geva.

If elections were held today, Blue&White would receive 35 seats – one more than in the same outfit’s survey two weeks ago, while the Likud remains with 33 seats.

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The number of applicants to participate in the survey was 3,351, the actual number of respondents was 506, and the margin of error is +-4.4%.

Despite the improvement for Blue&White, one day before the Knesset is dispersed, the poll does not move the needle in terms of the power blocs in the next Knesset: the center-left bloc has 44 seats, just like they do today (Blue&White 35, Labor 5, Democratic Camp 4), and the rightwing blocs has 55 seats, just like today (Likud 33, Shas 8, UTJ 8, and New Right – 6).

Liberman’s Israel Beiteinu holds on to its 8 seats, and the Joint Arab List keeps its 13 seats.

As in the vast majority of surveys conducted over the last month, both Habayit Hayehudi and Otzma Yehudit do not get past the vote threshold, with only 2.1% and 1.3% respectively. But it’s not at all clear that these two parties joining each other, or either of them joining New Right would necessarily improve matters, seeing as either party could chase away as many voters as it might bring over.

The third election, more than ever, is likely to focus on the “yes or no bibi” question, and here the survey offers news: 38% of respondents thought Gantz was more suitable than Netanyahu for the post of prime minister, compared with 37% who preferred Netanyahu.

By comparison, in last July’s survey, the gap between Netanyahu and Gantz was huge and stood at 42-22% in favor of Netanyahu.

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David writes news at JewishPress.com.