April 10, 2024 (EIRNS)—Recent opinion poll indicates that three-quarters of Israelis want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign. A poll by Kan public broadcaster and Channel 12 published surveys on April 7, to coincide with the six-month milestone since the war on Gaza started on Oct. 7, which showed the current government would be ousted if elections were held immediately.
Kan reported that 42% of Israelis believe Netanyahu should resign immediately, and 29% that he should step down after the war concludes, making a total of 71% seeking his ouster. Only 21% said Netanyahu doesn’t need to resign and 8% said they don’t know. Two-thirds of respondents said elections should be held before the end of the year.
In addition, 44% said there should be elections within a few months, 22% want elections sometime over the coming year, and 26% said there should only be elections when they are next due, in October 2026. Another 8% said they don’t know. The Channel 12 poll found that 50% believe there should be early elections.
The Kan poll showed that 45% believe Netnanyahu holds overall responsibility for the failure in the Oct. 7 attacks while 35% put the blame on IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi and the head of the Shin Bet security service. Regarding performance in handling the war, 68% said Netanyahu is not doing well, compared to 29% who said he is, and 3% who said they don’t know. Asked if the government is “doing enough to bring back the hostages,” 56% respond no and 39% said it is. Another 5% said they don’t know. The Channel 12 poll found that 49% think Netanyahu is acting out of political interests, compared to 35% who said he is acting for practical reasons. The remaining 16% said they don’t know.
In recent developments, New Hope leader Gideon Sa’ar pulled his party out of the government in a spat over seats in the three-person war cabinet that is overseeing the war. He also earlier split his alliance with the National Unity Party led by Benny Gantz.
