Only 35% of Jewish Israelis favor another election in the event of continued political deadlock, according to a new Israel Democracy Institute survey that also found broad support for automatically appointing the leader of the largest party as prime minister.

The flash poll, conducted by the institute’s Viterbi Center ahead of next week’s elections, found no clear public consensus on which bloc is more likely to form the next government.

Among all respondents, 31% gave the opposition’s “change bloc” the better chance, compared with 27.5% who favored the right-wing and Chareidi bloc. Another 16.5% believed the two camps had equal prospects.

The picture differed between Jewish and Arab respondents. Among Jews, 32% expected the right-wing bloc to form the government, compared with 29% who favored the change bloc. Among Arab respondents, 42% gave the opposition the advantage, while just 7.5% favored the right-wing bloc.

Asked about their preferred government, 37% of Jewish respondents chose a broad coalition of Zionist parties excluding the Chareidi parties.

Another 23% favored a right-wing and Chareidi coalition, while 15% preferred a center-left government without Arab parties. A further 14% supported a center-left government with Arab parties participating in the coalition or providing outside support.

Among Arab respondents, 71% favored a center-left government supported by or including Arab parties.

The survey also found substantial Jewish opposition to relying on the Arab parties. Sixty-five percent opposed Ra’am joining the government or providing a parliamentary safety net, while 75% opposed such a role for the Joint List.

Among Arab respondents, 58% supported Ra’am’s participation in a coalition and 51% supported the Joint List’s inclusion.

Security and foreign affairs were the leading voting consideration among Jewish respondents, cited by 42.5%. Social divisions followed at 29%, while 22% identified the cost of living as the decisive issue.

Among Arab respondents, the cost of living ranked first at 43.5%, followed by social divisions at 21.5% and security and foreign affairs at 19%.

Preferences for resolving another political stalemate also varied by political camp.

Among Jewish respondents on the left, 40.5% preferred a minority government, as did 41.5% of those identifying with the center. On the right, 39% preferred another election. Among Arab respondents, 46% favored returning to the polls.

One of the clearest findings concerned changing the rules for forming a government: 61% of all respondents supported legislation automatically appointing the leader of the largest party as prime minister.

Support reached 63% among Jewish respondents, with backing across the political camps.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)