Israel elections: rising panic in Likud ranks as opposition gains momentum

Polls indicate growing lead for Zionist Union led by Yitzhak Herzog over Binyamin Netanyahu’s party with less than a week before vote.

Israel’s opposition leader, Yitzhak Herzog, appears to be gaining momentum in the runup to next week’s general election, triggering a rising sense of panic in Likud, the party of the prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu.

Two new polls suggest a lead of three to four parliamentary seats for the Zionist Union, with internal polling from both parties indicating a wider gap.

A text message sent to Likud activists, imploring them to get friends and relatives to vote on Tuesday, reads: “We are in danger of really losing!” .... http://www.theguardian.com