The Israeli public prefers Netanyahu as Prime Minister but doesn’t trust his intentions, according to a recent N12 survey.
The survey, published on the N12 show “Ulpan Shishi,” revealed that in head-to-head comparisons, Netanyahu outperforms his main rivals for the premiership.
Netanyahu was the most favored candidate for Prime Minister among the main contenders, receiving 36% support compared to Lapid (28%), 32% compared to Gantz (28%), and 33% compared to Bennett (32%).
At the beginning of the month, polls showed that a unified anti-Netanyahu right-wing party led by Neftali Bennett would out perform the Likud.
The survey also showed that 62% of respondents favored a hostage deal over a “total victory” (29%) in the Israel-Hamas War.
Additionally, 51% of survey respondents stated that they believed Netanyahu’s own political considerations had prevented a hostage deal, while 40% believed it was due to regular operational considerations.
Netanyahu Goes to Washington
Respondents were split on their feelings towards Netanyahu’s speech at the US Congress, with 38% saying they felt pride, 27% feeling disappointment, and 18% having mixed feelings.
Despite this division, the speech did little to convince Israelis one way or the other, with 65% saying their opinion on Netanyahu remained unchanged. Only 15% said their opinion changed.
The public was also divided on Netanyahu’s intentions, with 48% saying the trip was to promote Netanyahu’s political interests and 44% saying it was to promote the interests of the State of Israel.
Most Israelis want him to cut the trip short, with 46% in favor of this, while 36% think there is no reason to shorten the trip.
