Most Israelis are opposed to the inclusion of Islamist Ra’am party in the government.
Among the general Israeli public, 46 percent of people indicated they prefer the option of a Bennett-Lapid government, over a fifth round of elections.
Of those asked 38 percent highlighted that they would rather vote again in September than accept a government formed by Yamina’s Naftali Bennett and Yesh Atid’s Yair Lapid.
In polling conducted on behalf of Channel 12, a representative sample of the Israeli public aged 18 and above were asked a variety of questions on the country’s current political situation.
On the chances of survival for the “government of change,” the public was not optimistic: 42 percent said that they expected it to be sworn in but not last long, and 16 percent indicated they didn’t expect it to even reach swearing-in. Only 24 percent of respondents indicated they felt it could go the distance.
Respondents split predictably right and left with their preference regarding Lapid/Bennett or another election.
Those who defined themselves as rightwing leaned 32 percent toward the new government, with 55 percent indicating another round of elections. This compared to center-left voters who backed the Lapid-Bennett coalition by 72 percent, with only 14 percent indicating they preferred elections again.
Participants in the poll were also asked to indicate whom they trusted more: Bennett who said this week that there was no route to a purely rightwing government; or Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who said that his rival had deceived the public and was pushing for a leftwing government out of a desire to become prime minister.
Of those asked, 44 percent said they trusted Bennett on this issue more, 35 believed Netanyahu, and 21 percent responded that they did not know.
With regards to who was to blame for the failure of the right bloc to form a coalition government, 41 percent indicated that Netanyahu was the chief culprit, 24 percent blamed Bennett, and 12 percent pointed the finger at Religious Zionism head Bezalel Smotrich.
An additional six percent indicated another politician was at fault and 17 percent said that they did not know.
The polling also showed that a near majority of the Israeli public does not support the inclusion of the Islamist Ra’am party in the government – a historic first for an Israeli Arab party – with 48 percent opposed, versus 40 percent in favor.
(i24 News).