(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many people in Israel think former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is best suited than other politicians to head the government, according to a poll by the Dahaf Institute published by Yediot Ahronot. 37 per cent of respondents think the Likud leader would be a good prime minister, up six points since March.

Labour leader Ehud Barak is second with 20 per cent, followed by Kadima leader and current prime minister Ehud Olmert with only 10 per cent. A third of respondents would pick none of these 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 in the legislature. Labour, the International Organization of Torah-observant Sephardic Jews (Shas) and the Retired People’s Party (Gil) 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 2007, 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 2007, 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 May 12, Israeli police raided the offices of Jerusalem’s city government and seized documents related to Olmert’s tenure as mayor, from 1993 to 2003. Olmert is alleged to have illegally accepted hundreds of thousands of U.S. dollars from American businessman Moshe Talansky. Neither Olmert nor Talansky have been charged with any crime, but now Olmert is under investigation.

Following calls for his resignation while the investigation continues, Olmert—who has been the subject of other corruption probes in the past—said that he will step down only if the attorney general decides to indict him. If the prime minister steps down, a snap election could take place.

Earlier this month, Gideon Sahar, a close ally of Netanyahu, commented on the ongoing investigation, saying, "Olmert is unworthy and cannot carry on in his post. The Kadima government is sunk up to its neck in corruption."

Polling Data

Who is best suited to be prime minister?

Source: Dahaf Institute / Yediot Ahronot
Methodology: Interviews with 500 Israeli adults, conducted on May 11, 2008. Margin of error is 4.5 per cent.

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