Amid the rebound of the Likud Beitenu in the polls and the downfall of Tzipi Livni, less than two weeks before election day, senior Likud party officials credited former foreign minister Tzipi Livni for the list’s
rise. Party officials said her failed efforts over the past week to unite the Center-Left persuaded voters to return to Likud Beitenu from its satellite
parties, the Jerusalem post reports.
“Right-wing voters are returning, because they are starting to
understand that in this election, it is important to strengthen the Likud in the
face of attempts by the Left to return to power and push Israel to divide
Jerusalem and return to pre-1967 borders,” said coalition chairman MK Ze’ev
Elkin.
Weekend polls found the Likud Beitenu on the rise with 34 to 38 projected seats, overcrossing the 31 seats from the 3 center-left parties, according to the latest Ma'agar Mohot poll, or coming close to match their 36 projected seats according to the Globes poll conducted by Rafi Smith.
Livni's collapase in the polls, benefited Kadima party chairman Shaul Mofaz, who has also done an incredible job in the latest TV commercials, with most polls showing Kadima reaching the threshhold of entering the knesset with 2-3 projected seats. Kadima's argument is now to convince the Israeli public who see them pulling up in the polls to grant them a vote of confidence.
Senior Likud officials expressed
satisfaction with Livni’s fall in the polls, while expressing hope that Kadima
would rise at The Tzipi Livni Party’s expense and become a convenient coalition
party that could balance out right-wing parties.
“It is clear as the sun
that we would be much more comfortable with Kadima than with Livni,” a senior
Likud official said.
