Right-wing Likud poised for victory ahead of Tuesday´s election

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Source: CCTV.com | 02-10-2009 08:29

The leading candidates in Israel's general election spent their final day on the campaign trail on Monday, just hours before the country goes to the polls. Tuesday's parliamentary election is likely to be a cliff-hanger. But public opinion polls suggest former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party will emerge victorious.

Israel's Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu holds up  a ballot for the Likud as he addresses supporters in the  northern city of Haifa February 8, 2009. (Baz Ratner/Reuters)

A final opinion poll on Friday found the right-wing Likud's lead over the ruling centrist Kadima had fallen to only two seats.

The poll gave Likud 27 seats, Kadima 25, right-wing "Israel is our home" 19 and left-wing Labor 14. And none of these parties is expected to get more than 30 seats in the 120 seat parliament, which means the winner will have to form a coalition with smaller parties.

The Likud party favors toppling Hamas in Gaza, promising to combat every terror offensive with a clear and decisive response.

Benjamin Netanyahu said, "We have to change our policy and respond with decisive strikes for every rocket fired and in the end there won't be a choice but to topple the Hamas government in Gaza."