Roundup: Israel's election race enters final stretch

Israeli political parties are intensifying their efforts to sway undecided voters as the countdown has started for the March 17 parliamentary elections.

Supporters of the ruling Likud party have planned to stage a huge rally in central Tel Aviv Sunday night to generate support, following a huge opposition rally last weekend in the city calling for the replacement of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to Haaretz daily's last poll published Thursday, the opposition Zionist Union, composed of the left Labor party and the Hatnuah (movement) party, continues to maintain its narrow lead over the Likud.

The union is projected to win 24 seats in the 120-seat parliament, while the Likud has lost two seats since the last survey and is predicted to win only 21 seats.

The Joint Arab List is predicted to get 13 seats, which would make it the third-largest party in the parliament.

In terms of personal supporting rate, Netanyahu is still leading well ahead of Issac Herzog, leader of the Zionist Union, but the gap has been narrowed to 14 percentage points from 26 percentage points 10 days ago.

In a new blow to Netanyahu, former President Shimon Peres, one of the most popular figures in Israel, announced Thursday his endorsement of opposition leader Isaac Herzog to be the next prime minister.

In a statement released on his behalf, Peres called Herzog "a cool-headed leader who has maintained his integrity and is full of responsibility and dedication to the Israeli public."

"I am convinced that Yitzhak Herzog will make a suitable prime minister and he will be a leader who will know how to bridge gaps, and connect Israeli society with the glue of solidarity and hope," he added.

Commenting on the move, the Likud released a statement saying the endorsement was no surprise. "Shimon Peres is obviously a typical left-winger who supports Bougie (Herzog) and Tzipi (Livni)."

"Only a vote for a big Likud will prevent ... concessions that will lead to the establishment of a second terror state in the heart of Israel," the right-wing party said, referring to the Zionist Union's support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

Alarmed by the results of recent opinion polls, Netanyahu Wednesday called on his supporters to close the gap before the election day, warning that "if this gap grows, we might wake up next week and find the Tzipi and Bougie as prime ministers."

A senior Likud minister told Israel's financial daily Globes that if the current slide towards the Zionist Union continues, "it could easily end up with only 17 seats for the Likud."

"If Netanyahu looks worried, it's no act. He has good reason to feel as if his seat is starting to wobble under him," Ha'aretz' top political commentator Yossi Verter wrote in the wake of the recent poll.

In a fresh worrying sign for Netanyahu, a Likud convention featuring Netanyahu was even canceled on Thursday in the southern city of Ashdod after organizers were concerned that not enough supporters would attend.

However, winning a greater number of seats does not guarantee Herzog the premiership.

According to the Israeli Election Law, once all the votes are counted, political negotiations take place between different parties in order to form a coalition of more than 60 members of parliament.

The Israeli president, after consulting with the heads of the parties, will nominate the politician who will be able to form the biggest coalition.

Whereas Netanyahu has stressed his hardline security stances regarding the Palestinians and Iran in order to gain the votes of the far-right, the Zionist Union emphasize its commitment to restart the peace talks with the Palestinians and socio-economic issues, which many Israelis deem as crucial amid the skyrocketing living cost in the counrty. Endit