New poll shows Israelis still favor Netanyahu as prime minister over all competitors

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced criticism for his unwillingness to take responsibility for atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists that happened on his watch. However, the Israeli public reportedly continues to favor Netanyahu as prime minister over his main political competitors, according to a new poll conducted by Israeli Channel 12 on Friday.

Approximately 32% of the Israeli citizens responded that Netanyahu was more suitable to lead the country compared to 28% for opposition leader Yair Lapid, who is a vocal critic of the Netanyahu government. However, 31% of the respondents said they would not vote for Netanyahu or Lapid.

When compared to former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, 33% replied they prefer Netanyahu at the helm, while 32% support Bennett. About 31% believe that neither candidate is suitable to lead the country and 4% answered they did not know.

One of the most surprising findings from the poll results is that the Israeli public reportedly favors Netanyahu over his main political opponent, National Unity party leader Benny Gantz. About 32% of the Israeli public now prefer Netanyahu, while 28% would choose Gantz as Israel's next leader. These percentages mirror the results of Netanyahu versus Lapid.

By contrast, a poll conducted in June by Panel4All indicated that 41% of the Israeli public supported Gantz compared to 35% for Netanyahu.

Netanyahu’s dramatic rise in the polls comes shortly after he addressed a joint session of the U.S. Congress and met with U.S. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House. In addition, Netanyahu also met with former U.S. President Donald Trump – current Republican presidential nominee – at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

While Netanyahu is widely recognized for his oratory skills, the majority of the Israeli respondents (65%) said the prime minister’s speech in Congress did not affect their personal views of Netanyahu. Furthermore, almost half of the respondents (48%) believed that Netanyahu’s trip to Washington was mainly driven by the prime minister’s personal interests. By contrast, 44% of Israelis believe Netanyahu’s U.S. trip was motivated by state interests.

In recent months, the Israeli public has been conflicted over the government’s stated war goals of dismantling the Hamas terrorist organization and bringing home the 115 remaining Israeli hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, 41 of whom are reportedly no longer alive.

However, the new poll indicates that a solid majority of the respondents (62%) currently prioritize securing a return of the hostages over a “total victory” against Hamas. Only 29% of the Israelis responded that defeating Hamas was more important than bringing home the hostages, while 9% said they did not know.

While Netanyahu is allegedly rising in the polls, the prime minister is simultaneously facing political tensions within his coalition government. Israel's Channel 12, without providing sources, reported on Friday that Netanyahu was contemplating firing Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and offering the position to New Hope party leader Gideon Sa’ar to strengthen his coalition government.

There have been growing disagreements between Netanyahu and Gallant amid the Gaza War. While Gallant has recently emphasized the need to secure a hostage deal, Netanyahu has been increasingly focused on his declared goal of eliminating Hamas as a military and political force in Gaza.

Sa’ar, a former member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, formed his own party in 2020 after becoming a vocal Netanyahu critic. However, Sa’ar has allegedly signaled that, given the right offer, he would consider joining a Netanyahu-led coalition government at a time when Israel faces multiple domestic and international challenges.