Israeli Public Rates Government Ministers Poorly in New Survey

A recent political survey conducted by Ulpan Shishi in collaboration with Midgam and iPanel reveals widespread public dissatisfaction with the performance of Israeli government ministers. The survey, published on July 3, 2026, shows that all ministers evaluated received predominantly negative ratings, with Education Minister Yoav Kish receiving the lowest approval, including a rare negative rating even among Netanyahu's supporters.

The survey results indicate that 58% of respondents gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a poor rating, while 61% disapproved of Defense Minister Israel Katz, 63% disapproved of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and 69% disapproved of both Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Education Minister Yoav Kish. Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar also received majority negative ratings.

Regarding responsibility for the return of living hostages, 58% of respondents credited former U.S. President Donald Trump as primarily responsible, while only 28% attributed the achievement to Netanyahu's government. This comes amid public statements by Finance Minister Smotrich and Netanyahu claiming credit for the hostages' return.

On leadership preferences, 58% of those surveyed favored a prime minister other than Netanyahu, with only 33% supporting his continuation in office. Additionally, the survey found strong opposition (66%) to the recently approved Basic Law: Torah Study, which defines Torah study as a fundamental value, with only 21% in support.

The survey also included party and bloc projections, showing Netanyahu's Likud party with 22 seats, the "Yashar!" party led by Gadi Eizenkot with 21.25 seats, and the "Together" alliance of Bennett and Lapid with 17.25 seats. The pro-Netanyahu bloc holds 51.5 seats, while the anti-Netanyahu bloc holds 68.5 seats.

These findings highlight significant public discontent with the current government and skepticism about its leadership and policies.