Poll: Majority of Israelis Want Netanyahu Out of Politics
A recent television poll reveals that approximately two-thirds of Israelis believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should exit politics and not seek reelection. This sentiment follows a tumultuous week in Israeli politics, marked by the High Court’s historic ruling on the conscription of ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students.
The poll also highlights former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s rising prominence as the potential leader of a new right-wing coalition. A significant portion of Israelis supports both the conscription of Haredi students and an investigation into the failures of October 7.
According to the survey, 66% of respondents think Netanyahu should not run in the next elections, while 27% support his candidacy, and 7% are undecided. Within Netanyahu’s right-religious bloc, 37% oppose his reelection, though 53% believe he should remain in office.
Two recent polls suggest that a political faction led by Netanyahu’s former protégés, including Bennett, Avigdor Liberman of the Yisrael Beitenu party, Gideon Sa’ar of the New Hope party, and former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, could dominate the next elections. Channel 12 and Channel 13 polls project this faction could secure the most Knesset seats, with estimates ranging from 25 to 33 out of 120.
Bennett is favored by 30% of respondents to lead this right-wing alliance, with significant support from opposition voters. Liberman and Cohen each garnered 10%, while Sa’ar received 4% support.
There is widespread support for a state commission of inquiry into the October 7 Hamas attack, with 85% of respondents in favor. Among Netanyahu’s supporters, 76% support such a probe.
The High Court of Justice has given the state until July 28 to explain the delay in forming an inquiry commission into the events leading up to the October 7 attack and the subsequent Gaza war. The government insists the investigation should wait until the war’s end.
Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara recently directed the military to draft 3,000 ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students, following the High Court’s decision against their exemption from military service. This decision has increased tensions within the coalition but has not yet destabilized the government.
A Channel 12 poll found that 66% of respondents believe ultra-Orthodox yeshiva students should serve in the military, including a majority of Netanyahu supporters. This poll was conducted by Midgam in cooperation with iPanel.
