Majority of Israelis believe Netanyahu should resign over October 7
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Nearly 3/4 Israelis believe that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should have resigned over the failure that is October 7.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends an Israeli soldier memorial ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in occupied al-Quds, July 16, 2024 (AP)
A new poll by the Israel Democracy Institute (IDI) has found that nearly three-quarters of Israelis believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should take responsibility for October 7's Operation al-Aqsa Flood and resign.
The survey, released on Sunday, indicates growing public dissatisfaction with Netanyahu’s leadership amid the ongoing war on Gaza.
According to the IDI’s February Israeli Voice Index, 48% of respondents believe Netanyahu should step down immediately, while 24.5% say he should resign after the war. An additional 14.5% believe he should take responsibility without resigning, while only 10% think he should neither take responsibility nor step down. Overall, 87% of Israelis believe Netanyahu bears responsibility for October 7, regardless of whether he resigns.
The poll revealed political and demographic divisions on the issue. While 45% of Jewish respondents support Netanyahu’s immediate resignation, 59% of Arab respondents share the same view.
Among ideological groups, 83.5% of left-wing Israelis and 69% of centrist voters favor his immediate resignation, compared to just 25.5% of right-wing voters.
Support for Gaza ceasefire
The survey also highlighted widespread support for advancing to the second phase of the ceasefire and prisoner swap deal with Hamas. Seventy-three percent of respondents back a deal that would include a full cessation of hostilities, Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners in exchange for all remaining captives.
Notably, 61.5% of Likud voters support such an agreement, though opposition among Netanyahu’s coalition partners remains high.
Despite this, only 41.5% of Israelis believe Netanyahu contributed to the implementation of the deal, while 85.5% credit former US President Donald Trump for his role.
The first phase of the ceasefire officially ended last week, and negotiations for the second phase have stalled. While Hamas demands a complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza in exchange for hostages, the Israeli occupation has sought to extend the previous arrangement without committing to ending the war.
Netanyahu’s office announced on Saturday that an Israeli delegation would travel to Qatar on Monday to continue negotiations.
Settlers support Gaza ethnic cleansing
Regarding Trump’s controversial proposal to relocate Gaza’s residents, 64% of respondents said that, regardless of its feasibility, it had sparked a more relevant discussion about solutions to the war. Support for this view was highest among Jewish respondents (73%) and significantly lower among Arab respondents (23%).
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated on Sunday that the Netanyahu government is working to establish a “migration administration” to oversee the departure of Palestinian residents from Gaza.
The IDI survey follows a poll published by the Israeli newspaper Maariv in January, which said if Knesset elections were held today, Netanyahu's Likud party would see its representation drop by two seats, leaving it with 21, while Otzma Yehudit, led by former Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The poll results reflect the political aftermath of Ben-Gvir and Otzma Yehudit's withdrawal from the government in protest of the recent Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with the Palestinian Resistance.
Likud lagging behind
The National Unity Party, led by Benny Gantz, would gain one seat, bringing its total to 18, the same number projected for Yisrael Beiteinu. Meanwhile, Yesh Atid is forecasted to secure 13 seats.
The Religious Zionism party, under Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, would narrowly surpass the electoral threshold with four seats. However, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar would fail to return to the Knesset, despite slight gains.
The poll also examined a hypothetical scenario involving a new party led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. Such a party would command 27 seats, significantly altering the political landscape.
Likud would drop to 19 seats, Yesh Atid to 9, and both Smotrich and Sa’ar would fail to meet the electoral threshold. In this scenario, Bennett’s coalition would grow to 67 seats, while Netanyahu’s bloc would shrink to 43.
The survey found that 62% of Israelis believe Netanyahu should resign, including 18% of Likud voters, citing his responsibility for the failures of October 7. Conversely, 29% oppose his resignation and 9% remain undecided.
