By David Rosenberg
Aug. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party would form the biggest bloc in Israel's parliament if elections were held now, a poll found.
A majority of voters view Netanyahu, who served as prime minister between 1996 and 1999, as the ``most appropriate'' candidate to take over as premier from Ehud Olmert, a separate survey found.
The polls by the Yediot Ahronot and Ma'ariv newspapers were conducted yesterday, a day after Olmert, 62, announced he will step down as Israel's prime minister as soon as his Kadima Party chooses a new leader.
Likud would capture 33 seats in the 120-member Knesset, Israel's parliament, three more than in the previous poll on May 30, a survey by Teleseker for Ma'ariv showed. If Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, 50, the frontrunner in the race to head Kadima, leads it into elections, her party would win 20 seats, down from 25 in May, according to the poll published today.
Olmert succumbed to pressure to resign in the face of six police investigations started since he took office 2 1/2 years ago. While Kadima may choose a leader as early as Sept. 17, Olmert could stay on as a caretaker until March if his successor fails to form a new coalition and the Knesset has to call elections.
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