Israeli PM Netanyahu's coalition would be trounced by Benny Gantz if elections held today: Polls

The coalition led by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which secured 64 seats in the November 2022 elections, would see a decline to only 45 seats in the 120-member Knesset if elections were held today, according to a survey published on Thursday. The anti-Netanyahu, so-called “change” parties would soar to 70 seats, with the Hadash-Taal alliance winning the other five, as reported by Channel 12. According to the survey, Benny Gantz’s National Unity party would win 36 seats, surpassing Netanyahu’s Likud, which is projected to secure 17 seats. The channel acknowledged the unusual timing of conducting an election survey during a war, highlighting that typically, prime ministers receive a boost in popularity during wartime. However, the survey results, in this case, indicate the opposite trend. This week, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid has called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign, saying the Israeli leader has “lost the public’s trust.” This is the first time Lapid has urged Netanyahu to quit since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7. A recent poll reveals a significant decline in support for longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with only 27% of Israelis considering him the right person to lead the government, as reported on Friday. According to the Lazar Research Institute’s poll for the Israeli daily Maariv, approximately half of the respondents, or 49%, express confidence in Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity Party, as the preferred figure to lead the country’s government. Conducted with a random sample of 522 Israeli adults, the poll carries a margin of error of 4.3%. The results indicate a notable decrease in the Likud party’s popularity, led by Netanyahu, and a noteworthy increase in support for the National Unity party.