Poll: Majority Says Netanyahu Must Resign If Indicted

Fifty-one percent of Israelis think that Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu should resign if indicted on corruption charges, according to a poll released on Thursday.

Another 24 percent said he would not have to step down, while 15 percent had no opinion, according to a Smith Research poll taken Wednesday for The Jerusalem Post.

Attorney-General Avichai Mandelblit is reportedly leaning toward filing an indictment and announcing it before April elections. Channel 10 reported that Mandelblit will make his decision known as early as February.
The statistical breakdown of opinion showed, not surprisingly, that Likud supporters are heavily in favor of letting Netanyahu remain in office despite an indictment. The poll said 67 percent held that opinion.

His legal troubles notwithstanding, the prime minister continued to rank far ahead of other contenders for his job. Asked who is most fit to be prime minister, 39 percent named Netanyahu, 14 percent said former IDF chief of staff Benny Gantz, 9 percent Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid, seven percent said New Right leader Naftali Bennett, 5 percent Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman and 4 percent Labor leader Avi Gabbay.
The poll showed no significant change in the relative strength of parties: Likud 30 seats, Gantz 14, Joint List 12, Yesh Atid 11, New Right 9, Labor 9 United Torah Judaism 7, Kulanu, Shas and Meretz 6 each, Yisrael Beytenu and Gesher 5 each.