Polls Show Olmert Unfit to Lead Israel as Prime Minister
10:22 Sep 22, '06 / 29 Elul 5766
by Hana Levi Julian
If elections were held today, a Nationalist-religious coalition would rule, according to the latest popularity polls conducted on the eve of the new year.
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is losing his popularity with Israeli voters, according to the latest polls. Likud party chairman Binyamin Netanyahu is in the lead.
The recent war with Hizbullah terrorists in southern Lebanon has taken its toll on the prime minister; only 7 percent of respondents to a Dahaf poll deemed Olmert the best person to head the government.
A separate poll conducted by Dialog supported the findings; some 70% were dissatisfied with Olmert’s performance as prime minister. Moreover, there was a jump in the number of Israelis critical of Olmert’s performance, specifically after the ceasefire was declared.
Some 40 percent expressed dissatisfaction with the prime minister's management of the country on August 11, prior to the ceasefire, compared to 68 percent expressing unhappiness with his leadership in Thursday’s poll.
The polls indicated that Likud opposition leader MK Binyamin Netanyahu would become prime minister if elections were held today, with 27 percent of the vote. The Likud party would win 24 seats in the Knesset, while Olmert's Kadima party would receive only 16 mandates, a major drop from the 29 seats it currently holds.
Netanyahu is followed by Yisrael Beitenu (Israel Our Home) party chairman Avigdor Lieberman, who garnered 15 percent.
Olmert suffered yet a further blow in the poll finishing in third place amongst his party colleagues, as most suitable to lead the country. Foreign Minister Tzipy Livni’s 14 percent and Vice Premier Shimon Peres’ 12 percent both topped the current prime minister.
Defense Minister and Labor party chairman Amir Peretz was the least popular in the Ma’ariv poll, with only 1 percent of the respondents considering him fit to lead the country.
The poll was based on the responses of 499 people representing a cross-section of the adult Israeli population.
Polls Show Olmert Unfit to Lead Israel as Prime Minister
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