Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saw a jump in public support in a poll released on Friday, nearly a week after the latest military operation in Gaza, which has seen some voters in the premier lose his ratings during the first four months of his sixth term in the country. helped restore the faith of Office.
Forty-nine percent of the public said Netanyahu was suitable for the job of prime minister, compared to 36% of voters who preferred National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz, a Channel 12 poll found. The numbers for Netanyahu were a slight improvement from a poll last week, in which the prime minister edged out Gantz 38% to 37%.
In a Channel 12 poll earlier this month before the Gaza conflict, public support for Netanyahu was below Gantz’s, with Gantz receiving 41% support compared to 31% of those who thought the Likud leader was dominant. were fit to be.
Netanyahu has seen his popularity decline in recent months in an apparent rebuke of his government’s effort to dismantle the judiciary and other controversial policies.
Friday’s polling showed Netanyahu fared better than opposition leader Yair Lapid, whom only 27% of the public saw as suitable for the job of prime minister, compared to 42% for Netanyahu in the match-up.
Despite renewed support for Netanyahu, 63% of respondents said he and Likud “surrendered to the ultra-Orthodox” in crafting the latest annual budget, compared to 30% who disagreed with that statement. Were.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid (left) and National Unity Party leader Benny Gantz meet in the Knesset on May 10, 2023. (courtesy)
Critics of the government have blasted the coalition’s approval of NIS 13.7 billion ($4 billion) discretionary funds, mostly for the ultra-Orthodox community, and a controversial planned municipal tax fund that takes money from wealthy cities and redistributes it to poorer communities who are generally more supportive of the government.
Respondents were also asked whether they thought Lapid and Gantz would transfer similar funds to the ultra-conservative community if they formed a government with ultra-conservative parties. 34 percent said they would do so, while 49 percent said they would accede to such demands.
When asked about the government’s municipal tax plan, 49% were opposed, while 39% supported the proposal. The numbers were better among coalition voters, with 58% supporting the plan compared to 27%, according to the poll.
Online voting was done on Thursday. It polled 502 respondents and had a 4.4% margin of error.
The figures were published less than a week after Israel and the Gaza-based Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group ended five days of fighting, in which the Israel Defense Forces eliminated the militant group’s senior leadership. Despite nearly 1,500 rockets being fired at Israeli communities during the flare-up, the operation was mostly welcomed in Israel, where it sparked few protests and supported political opposition.
Israel’s TV opinion polls have mixed credibility, but often influence public opinion and drive decision-making between parties and politicians. No elections are scheduled soon, but the elections could become relevant if the current hard-right coalition – which has seen significant cracks in its short existence – falls apart, or is triggered by the failure to pass a budget this month. Are.
