Poll Finds Most Israelis Want Netanyahu Out of Politics

A new poll aired by Israel’s Channel 12, published at the end of the week and conducted four months before the election, shows broad public opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu running again. According to the survey, 59% said Netanyahu should not contest the coming election, while 33% said he should and 8% answered that they do not know.

The most striking finding was among voters aligned with Netanyahu’s own bloc, where 11% also said he should not run. The poll was presented as a sign that cracks are appearing even inside his traditional support base, amid ongoing political and security tensions.

The survey also asked who should lead Likud after Netanyahu. Nir Barkat came first with 18% support, followed by Justice Minister Yariv Levin with 9%, Defense Minister Israel Katz with 7%, and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana with 6%. Former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen received 4%, minister Eli Cohen was also included in the list, and former defense minister Yoav Gallant finished last with 1%. Seventeen percent said they did not know.

On the proposed U.S.-Iran deal, 67% of respondents said it is bad for Israel, only 9% said it is good for Israel, and 24% said they did not know. Among coalition voters, 67% called it bad for Israel, and among opposition voters the share was even higher at 79%, suggesting unusually broad consensus on the issue.