The latest opinion poll, published Sunday, indicated a general loss of confidence in the Labor-Likud coalition government and a drop in the popularity of the leaders of both parties. If elections were held now, the voters would give neither party a decisive majority and the present stalemate in government would continue.
The poll, conducted by the Public Opinion Research Institute (PORI) among 1,200 Jewish voters between April 21-23, confirmed a trend of dissatisfaction with the government found by a poll taken in March by the Modiin Ezrachi organization, published April 21.
The Labor Party suffered less erosion than Likud. The poll indicated that 75.3 percent of those who voted for Labor in the 1984 Knesset elections would vote for it again. But Likud would be the choice of only 55.4 percent of those who voted for it three years ago.
Moreover, 11.5 percent of Likud voters would cast ballots for Labor in new elections but only 2.2 percent of Labor voters would cross over to Likud. In addition, 11.6 percent of Labor voters and 15.3 percent of Likud voters are “undecided” whom they would vote for.
The poll showed that Labor would win 40.1 percent of the vote if elections were held now, up from 37.1 percent in 1984, while Likud would win 24.9 percent, down from 31.9 percent.
The religious parties, with 14.6 percent of the vote in new elections, up from 11.4 in 1984, would again hold the balance of power should either party try to form a governing coalition, the latest poll showed.
It also showed a 23 point decline in popularity for Premier Yitzhak Shamir, the Likud leader, down to 36 percent approval from 59 percent in May 1986. Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, the Labor Party leader, had a 17 point drop in popularity, down to 62 percent from 79 percent a year ago.
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