New poll puts Livni, Netanyahu in dead heat

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A new poll shows moderate Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and her hawkish rival Binyamin Netanyahu in a dead heat if elections were to be held today. The survey by the Dialog polling company gives 31 of parliament's 120 seats to Livni's ruling Kadima Party and the same number to Netanyahu's Likud. Parties that take a hard line on ceding land to the Arabs would win 61 seats. More dovish parties would gain 58. The survey also shows the public thinks Netanyahu is best equipped to deal with Israel's security problems. Elections are to be held in February, a year and a half ahead of schedule. They were called earlier this week after Livni failed to put together a new governing coalition.