KEY POINTS:
A new Israeli poll shows hardline Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu ahead as a national election approaches.
The poll gives Netanyahu 28 seats in Israel's 120-seat Parliament. That's five seats more than his closest rival, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni of the centrist Kadima party.
In third place is Defence Minister Ehud Barak of Labour.
Yesterday's poll results mean Netanyahu is most likely to win the February 10 election and will have the best chance of forming a governing coalition.
Netanyahu opposes a substantial West Bank withdrawal and has said he will continue expanding settlements.
