Inside Netanyahu's bet on divided opposition to secure another term
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is doing better in public opinion polls this week, but he is still far from securing a majority in the upcoming elections.
JERUSALEM — While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's poll numbers for the Oct. 27 elections are improving, he is still far from securing the 61 Knesset seats he would need to form the next government.
Netanyahu launched his election campaign on Wednesday with a high-profile visit to a popular Jerusalem shopping mall teeming with families sheltering from the scorching heat and enjoying their summer vacation.
The prime minister's campaign advisers chose the Malha Mall, where he was guaranteed a warm reception. A video of the visit showed Netanyahu in high spirits, a little thinner but energetic, surrounded by fans, children and elderly people asking for selfies and greeting him with admiration and good wishes.
The next day, the same ritual was repeated at a popular cafe in the Mediterranean coastal city of Bat Yam, a Likud party stronghold.
