Over 70% of Israelis want Netanyahu to resign - polls

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More than seven out of ten Israelis reportedly want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign, either immediately or right after the war, according to polls published on Sunday by Channel 12 and KAN public broadcasting.

According to the KAN poll, 42% of the Israeli respondents want Netanyahu to resign now, while 29% think he should wait until after the war ends.

Only 20% replied that Netanyahu should not resign, while 8% said they ‘did not know.’ Both polls indicated that the current Netanyahu-led coalition government would lose its Knesset majority if elections were held today.

Because the Netanyahu government came to power at the end of 2022, the next general election should formally be held in 2026. However, both polls indicate that some 50% of the Israeli public would prefer earlier elections.

The Hamas Oct. 7 massacre is widely seen as the worst intelligence failure in Israeli history, even eclipsing the 1973 Yom Kippur War. While several military – and some political – leaders have already assumed responsibility, Netanyahu has so far refused to take any responsibility, repeating that the multiple failures that led to Oct. 7 will be thoroughly examined after the war.

However, close to half of the KAN poll respondents (45%) believe that Netanyahu, as the head of the government, bears the overall responsibility for the failure to prevent the unprecedented atrocities. Approximately 35% blame current IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar. By contrast, only 3% of the respondents blame Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Despite military gains in Gaza, about 62% of Israelis are reportedly dissatisfied with the direction of the war, according to a fresh poll conducted on behalf of the popular local news outlet, Ma’ariv. Less than one-third of Israelis are reportedly happy with the progress towards the military objectives of destroying Hamas and freeing the hostages.