Apparently some Israelis are really warming up to "The Israelis" Party running for the 19th Knesset, according to the latest Yediot/Dahaf poll conducted by Minah Tzemach and published in Yediot's friday newspaper. Sounds like another marketing prank to you, or do you smell something really fishy?
If elections were held today, Likud Beitenu would receive 35 projected seats, Livni's Hatnu'a 11 and "The Israelis" 2 seats, leaving behind Kadima and Am Shalem, according to the poll.
If you are still wondering, this is a party organized by Chaim Ramon and Livni headed by a popular television star in the Israeli Russian language channel, David Kon, leading Channel 9 broadcaster, according to IMRA. The idea of the party is to draw Russian votes away from the Likud & Yisrael Beitenu joint ticket.
"The party appears to target Russian voters disenchanted with Avigdor Lieberman after his alignment with Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud. The party is headed by David Kun, a senior anchor at Russian-language Channel , Ynet write in their analysis.
Kun said the results of the survey came as a big surprise and added that he will support any party that forms a coalition. He also slammed Yisrael Beitenu for abandoning its traditional voters.
Is it possible that Ynet and Yediot, who're not seen as big fans of Netanyahu, are in fact launching a campaign for the party, by boosting its credentials and promoting the pretty brilliant sticky name.?
Full Dahaf Poll Current Knesset seats in [brackets]:
35 [42] Likud & Yisrael Beiteinu
19 [13] Labor
11 [11] Shas
11 [07] Jewish Home/NRP & National Union
11 [---] Livni party "Hatnua" Party
08 [---] Lapid "Atid" Party
06 [05] Yahadut Hatorah
04 [03] Meretz
02 [---] Otzma Leyisrael (Eldad and Ben Ari)
02 [---] The Israelis **
00 [---] Am Shalem headed by Rabbi Haim Amsalem
00 [28] Kadima
11 [11] Arab parties
.
