(IsraelNN.com) In probably the lowest show of support for an incumbent in the history of political polling, only 3% of the populace feel Olmert should continue to serve as Prime Minister.
The "New Wave Institute" poll, first reported on Channel Ten, shows that 57% of the respondents feel that new elections should be held. If elections were held now, the survey shows, Likud Chairman Binyamin Netanyahu would receive ten times more support than Olmert - 30% of the electorate.
Front-runner Netanyahu is followed by Labor's Ami Ayalon, with 18%. Only 1% support current Labor leader Amir Peretz for Prime Minister. Ayalon is the current favorite to win the race for leadership of the Labor Party, in a primaries vote to be held in May.
Netanyahu and other Likud members have been promoting the message that the Olmert government is all but doomed. "Most of the country has lost confidence in the government," Netanyahu told reporters on Wednesday. "The nation wants either new elections, or at least a major change in the composition of the government." MK Gideon Saar (Likud), asked today what could save the Olmert government, said, "Nothing."
Netanyahu said that several former Likud members who joined Kadima now wish to return to the Likud. He refused to name them, but said that contacts are underway.
Some key non-politicians have also lost faith in Kadima - and some have re-joined the Likud. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's nephew Ya'ir Olmert has left Kadima, and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livny's brother Eli - a Galilee surveyor and a Lt.-Col. in the reserves - announced this week that he was leaving Kadima and returning to the Likud.
I am not a big fan of Netanyahu for various reasons (think Wye River for starters) but Israel badly needs a change of government. In my opinion, the only government which could possibly be worse for the country is a Meretz majority lead coalition. At this point in time, it is not in the interest of the left of centre parties to let the Kadima coalition fall in the Israeli parliament.
If the government fell tomorrow, the major political leftie players (Kadima, Labour, Meretz, Pensions) would be consigned to electoral perdition and they know it. Only the “rightwing” (and I use that term loosely as Israeli “ring-wing” parties are still considerably left of the Canadian NDP) stand to make massive gains.
2 comments:
the only government which could possibly be worse for the country is a Meretz majority lead coalition
My opinion, too. Somehow, I don't think we need to worry about that.
I must admit that I find these polls a little surprising: Where did they find Olmert's entire extended family to get his rating up to 3%?
Will the last one out of the country please turn off the lights?
I found the 3% rather starting as well, and if I recall correctly the last polling data from 2 months ago was at 3% then. Whoever heard of holding steady at 3%?
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