(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Roughly a third of Israelis would like former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take office again, according to a poll by Maagar Mochot released by Israel Radio. 30 per cent of respondents prefer the Likud party leader as head of government, down two points since August.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Roughly a third of Israelis would like former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take office again, according to a poll by Maagar Mochot released by Israel Radio. 30 per cent of respondents prefer the Likud party leader as head of government, down two points since August.
Current defence minister and Labour leader Ehud Barak—also a former prime minister—is second with 23 per cent, followed by current head of government Ehud Olmert of Kadima with eight per cent. Almost two-in-five respondents cannot choose any of the three men for the top political job.
In March 2006, Israeli voters renewed the Knesset. Kadima, founded by former prime minister Ariel Sharon and led by Olmert, secured 29 seats. Labour, the Retired People’s Party (Gil) and the International Organization of Torah-observant Sephardic Jews (Shas) joined Kadima in a coalition. In October, the Israeli cabinet approved the addition of Israel Our Home to the government. Olmert’s coalition now has the support of 78 of the Knesset’s 120 members.
In June, Barak defeated former Israeli admiral Ami Ayalon in the second round of the Labour party’s primary election with 51.2 per cent of the vote. In August, Netanyahu won the Likud contest with 73 per cent of the vote.
Netanyahu served as prime minister from June 1996 to July 1999, and resigned from Sharon’s cabinet—where he held the finance portfolio—after opposing the "Disengagement Plan." Barak headed the Israeli government from July 1999 to March 2001.
On Sept. 6, Israeli jets allegedly flew over Syrian territory and bombed a small area. The incident was widely reported by Syrian and international media, but the Israeli government refused to comment on it.
On Sept. 20, Netayahu confirmed the operation during a television interview, saying, "When a prime minister does something that is important in my view and necessary to Israel’s security (…) I give my backing. And here, too, I was a partner in the issue from the start, and I gave my backing."
Labour party secretary-general Eitan Cabel referred to the interview, saying, "Bibi (Netanyahu) has remained the same Bibi. I have no idea if this was stupidity, folly or a desire to hop on the carriage, a desire to be a partner, a desire to steal credit. (…) This is simply a very, very dangerous conduct, and the man is not worthy of leading."
Israel does not have to hold a legislative election until March 2010.
Polling Data
Of the following candidates, who would you prefer to be prime minister?
|
Sept. 2007 |
Aug. 2007 |
|
|
Benjamin Netanyahu |
30% |
32% |
|
Ehud Barak |
23% |
30% |
|
Ehud Olmert |
8% |
5% |
|
Other replies |
39% |
33% |
Source: Maagar Mochot / Israel Radio
Methodology: Interviews with 508 Israeli adults, conducted on Sept. 19, 2007. Margin of error is 4.5 per cent.
