Israeli Public Opinion Shifts on Military and Political Leadership
Recent polls in Israel highlight changing public sentiments on military action against Hezbollah and political leadership preferences.
Casey Parker
- 2023-12-29
- Updated 02:17 AM ET
(NewsNibs) - According to a survey published by Maariv newspaper, a majority of Israelis support military action to repel Hezbollah from the northern border. The poll shows 66% of respondents advocating for a military solution, with a significant call for action across different political allegiances. Despite the military stance, current coalition parties have experienced a decrease in mandates, now holding only 44 compared to the opposition's 71 mandates. The dip in coalition support includes a mandate shift from the Likud party to Israel Beitenu.
Political Landscape Altered
The political scenery in Israel appears to be shifting with Benny Gantz gaining an edge over Benjamin Netanyahu in the race for the Prime Minister's office. Gantz is currently favored by 49% of the population, surpassing Netanyahu's 32%. This change reflects a slight increase in support for Gantz from the previous week's 46% and a marginal drop for Netanyahu from 34%. Moreover, approval for Netanyahu has waned even among his own Likud voters, with only 65% considering him suitable now, a decrease from 70% reported earlier.
Parties' Mandate Distribution
The distribution of mandates among political parties has also seen significant changes. The State Camp leads with 38 mandates, while Netanyahu's Likud holds 17. Other parties' mandates stand as follows: Yesh Atid with 13, Israel Beitenu with 11, Shas with 9, United Torah Judaism and Otzma Yehudit both with 7, Hadash-Ta'al and Ra'am with 5 each, and Meretz and Religious Zionism with 4 each. Parties not crossing the electoral threshold include Balad at 1.4% and Labor at 1.3%.
Public Unifies on Military Stance
The call for military action is not isolated to the current coalition's electorate, who show 78% support; a considerable majority (64%) of opposition voters also back this stance. Interestingly, the geographic location within Israel does not significantly affect opinions on this issue, as northern residents equally align with the rest of the country in supporting a decisive military strategy against Hezbollah. In contrast, a mere 16% favor the existing containment policies, with 18% remaining undecided on the matter.
These findings reflect a pivotal moment in Israel's political and security landscape. With substantial public backing for military intervention and evolving political preferences, leadership figures and parties could face critical decisions and electoral consequences in the near future.
