Poll: Half of Israelis Don’t Believe New Gov’t Can Defeat Terrorism

YERUSHALAYIM

Head of the Otzma Yehudit party MK Itamar Ben-Gvir at the Knesset, Nov. 22. (Olivier Fitoussi/Flash90)

Nearly 52% of Israelis don’t believe that incoming Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and his new government will be able to find a solution to terrorism, a new poll showed on Sunday.

According to the survey conducted by Manu Geva and iPanel, only 31% think that Netanyahu’s bloc can combat the wave of terrorism that has been rising in recent months. Among Netanyahu’s supporters this number was higher – 55%.

However, nearly half of the respondents support Ben-Gvir’s appointment to the position of public security minister, while 46% oppose the move.

Another pressing issue that Israelis don’t seem to trust the incoming government with is the cost of living. While a third of the respondents said that the new Cabinet will resolve the problem, 40% believe that living costs would remain the same. Another 20% predicted that the situation would change for the worse.

The one position still in question amid the coalition talks is that of Religious Zionism leader Betzalel Smotrich who aimed at becoming the next defense minister but was offered the Finance Ministry instead. According to the poll, 61% of Israelis do not support this appointment while 28% were satisfied with it.

Yoav Galant from the Likud party is more fit for the position, according to 55% of the respondents, with 32% of the public not supporting him.

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