Poll highlights Israeli attitudes towards political deadlock

Survey looks at a variety of issues affecting the current political crisis in Israel, including who would win and who is to if third elections were held, individual party support and Likud primaries.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Tension was evident between Blue and White leader Benny Gantz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the opening of the Knesset’s new session on April 30 (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
Tension was evident between Blue and White leader Benny Gantz and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the opening of the Knesset’s new session on April 30
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM)
If elections were held today, Benny Gantz’s Blue and White Party would receive 37 seats in the Knesset, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party would drop to 30 seats, according to a poll published by Politics Panel.
Beyond the two leading parties, the survey indicated that there would be little change in the size of the blocs, with the center-left bloc winning 58 seats and the right-religious 55 seats.
The breakdown of support also shows the strengthening of smaller parties to the right of Likud, while the Left would see little change in support. If a third election were held, the Joint List would receive 12 seats, followed by Shas (8), United Torah Judaism (7), Yisrael Beytenu (7), New Right (6), Labor (5), Union of Right-Wing Parties (4) and the Democratic Union (4).
The pollsters also asked Likud supporters whom they intend to support in the upcoming primaries for the leadership of the party. The vast majority indicated that they would support Benjamin Netanyahu (89%), followed by former Jerusalem mayor Nir Barkat (5%) and Netanyahu’s main challenger Gideon Sa’ar (4%).
When asked if Netanyahu should continue serving as prime minister following the announcement of criminal indictments against him, respondents indicated that 56% believe he should resign, 37% say he can continue, and 7% are uncertain.
Respondents were also asked whom they think would be responsible for a third election, with most (42%) blaming Netanyahu, followed by Avigdor Liberman (35%), Blue and White second-in-command Yair Lapid (5%), and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz (4%). Fourteen percent said they are uncertain about who is to blame.