After Netanyahu, Sa'ar is preferred candidate for Likud voters - poll

Surprisingly, 10% of Likud voters believe that Ayelet Shaked should lead the Likud.

By ARIK BENDER/MAARIV
netanyahu saar beware lip readers 248 88 (photo credit: AP)
netanyahu saar beware lip readers 248 88
(photo credit: AP)
MK Gideon Sa'ar is the preferred candidate for Likud voters to head the party if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is, at some point, forced to step down. This according to a survey that was published on Friday morning by Nissim Mishal on 103FM radio.
According to the survey conducted by research institute  Maagar Mohot, Sa'ar leads among Likud voters with 33% support, followed by Foreign Minister Israel Katz with 29%, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein with 16%, and Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan with 6% support.
Surprisingly, 10% of Likud voters believe that Ayelet Shaked should lead the Likud, if and when Netanyahu is forced to step down.
Among the general public, the picture is similar: Sa'ar leads with 27% support, while Katz and Edelstein have 19%, Shaked with 13% support, and Erdan has only 2%.
The survey found that if the Knesset elections were held on Friday, the right-wing bloc headed by the Likud would only receive 60 seats in the Knesset and would not be able to form a coalition.
The Likud, according to the poll, would receive 34 seats in the elections, United Torah Judaism 8, Shas 8, the Union of Right-Wing Parties 6, and the New Right 4.
Liberman would receive 8 seats, three more than in the outgoing Knesset, which, according to his own statements, could force a unity government between the Likud and Blue and White.
The center-left bloc would receive 52 seats: Blue and White 33, Hadash -Ta'al 6, Meretz 5, Ra'am-Balad 4 and Labor 4.
The survey was conducted on Thursday and included 501 participants aged 18 and over. The margin of error is 4%.