For first time in a year, Israel poll shows Netanyahu preferred to Benny Gantz as prime minister

Times of Israel ^ | 05/30/2024 | TOI Staff

[SeekAndFind]

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu overtook war cabinet minister Benny Gantz as the public’s preferred choice for premier in a television survey aired Wednesday, marking the first time in a year that the incumbent rated higher than his best-polling rival.

The Channel 12 news poll also found Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party gaining on Gantz’s centrist National Union, while indicating that a potential all-star slate of Netanyahu’s former right-wing allies could win a double-digit number of parliamentary seats, mainly at the expense of National Union.

If elections were held today, according to the poll, National Union would pick up 25 of the Knesset’s 120 seats, while Likud would win 21. The four-seat gap between the two parties is down from a high of 19 seats in a December survey, when Gantz’s party led Netanyahu’s by 37 seats to 18, the network noted.

Respondents preferred Netanyahu to Gantz as premier by a margin of 36 percent to 30% in Wednesday’s survey, marking his first lead since a poll from May 18, 2023, when Netanyahu was at 38% at Gantz at 37%.

Gantz’s lead over Netanyahu had soared in the aftermath of October 7, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill nearly 1,200 people and take over 250 hostages.

Gantz, who joined the government days later, was shown in a December poll leading Netanyahu 45% to 27%. As recently as April, Gantz was still out in front, with 35% preferring him while 29% backed Netanyahu.

Channel 12 attributed the shift to Gantz’s recent threat to bolt the government, apparently shedding considerable support he had accrued for perceived statesmanship in joining the emergency coalition.

In addition to Gantz, Netanyahu also ranked higher than Opposition Leader Yair Lapid (37% to 30%), former prime minister Naftali Bennett (34% to 32%),

[Jaysin]

all polls here in Israel are conducted for a purpose and never to get a real idea of what people think — in other words, they are all fake and manipulated polls

Since we don’t have any elections here for the foreseeable future, the only purpose of this poll showing Bibi gaining strength is to rally the anti-Bibi forces into action. This all coincides with Gantz submitting a bill to dissolve the knesset and of course the opposition leaders plotting to overthrow the government.

[Judge Bean]

Plus, Obama has been trying to engineer a Left government for more than a decade.

[Angelino97]

the only purpose of this poll showing Bibi gaining strength is to rally the anti-Bibi forces into action.

That theory doesn't make sense. Generally, a show of strength discourages the opposition.

[TexasGator]

All the polls have shown Bibi gaining. I referenced one last week where he was up 1 point after being down 9 last year.

[Jaysin]

if the left sees polls showing Bibi gaining, then it will motivate them to continue with their anarchy against the government.

there is the small possibility that the avergae Israelis are getting sick of the left and their antics

[Sunsong]

LOL

[Sam Gamgee]

All over X there is so much hate for Bibi – whom they call a war criminal.