Polls Show Dissatisfaction With Handling of Gaza

Most Israelis are dissatisfied with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s handling of the Gaza crisis and the perceptions have adversely affected his party’s standing in the polls.

A poll conducted for Channel 2 just after the ceasefire found that 74 percent of Israelis disapproved of Netanyahu’s handling of the confrontation with Hamas.

A poll taken by Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster, had 36 percent of respondents saying Netanyahu did a “very bad” job with Hamas, 29 percent said he did a “bad” job, 12 percent rated it “good,” and only 7 percent said he did a “very good” job.

Almost two-thirds, 64 percent of respondents opposed the ceasefire, favoring expanded military operations in Gaza, while 21 percent said Israel needed to agree to the internationally-brokered ceasefire with Hamas.

The Likud party would absorb some of the damage from the unpopular outcome in the south, if elections were held now. It would win 29 seats in the Knesset, down from 31 in March.

Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid was again in No. 2 position with 18 seats, while the Joint List had 13 in the poll. Zionist Camp and Jewish Home were both projected to win 11, Kulanu 8, Yisrael Beytenu 7, United Torah Judaism 7, Shas 6, Meretz 6 and MK Orly& Levy-Abescias 5.