Poll: Majority of Israelis Believe Netanyahu Should Resign Amid Calls for Top Officials to Step Down

A recent Jerusalem Post poll reveals that 58% of Israelis, including 28% of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's supporters, believe he should resign amid growing calls for the defense minister, army chief, and Shin Bet head to also step down. The poll comes as Netanyahu faces mounting pressure over his handling of the hostage crisis and the broader security situation in the country.

The State Comptroller has been investigating the "multisystem failures" leading up to, during, and after the October 7th incident, where Hamas gunmen broke through a heavily fortified Israeli security fence around Gaza, killing 1,200 people and taking 250 hostage. The Prime Minister's Office has been accused of not fully cooperating with the Comptroller's office, leading to delays in the audit. The National Security Council has also restricted access to documents written up to two years before the outbreak of the war.

Why this matters: The poll results and ongoing investigations highlight the growing discontent among the Israeli public regarding the government's handling of the security situation and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The calls for top officials to resign underscore the severity of the situation and the need for accountability at the highest levels of government.

According to the Channel 12 television poll, 54% of respondents support holding snap elections in the country. The survey also found that 48% believe Defense Minister Yoav Gallant should resign, 50% support the dismissal of the Chief of the General Staff of the Israeli Army, and 56% believe the director of the Israeli Security Agency, Ronen Bar, should step down.

The campaign in Gaza has displaced most of the Palestinian territory's 2.3 million population and laid much of the narrow area to waste, exacerbating a humanitarian crisis that Palestinians in Gaza were already facing under a 16-year blockade. The Biden administration, led by Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, has been working to broker a ceasefire and secure the release of hostages, warning that an Israeli offensive in Rafah could be catastrophic for civilians, with over 34,000 Palestinian casualties reported so far.

The Jerusalem Post poll, conducted online and by phone with 500 respondents, is seen as representative of the Israeli public's views on the current political situation. As pressure mounts on Netanyahu and other top officials, the future of Israel's leadership and the resolution of the ongoing crisis in Gaza remain uncertain.

Key Takeaways

• 58% of Israelis, including 28% of Netanyahu's supporters, want him to resign.
• Investigations into "multisystem failures" leading to Oct 7 incident, with accusations of non-cooperation.
• 54% support snap elections, 48% want Defense Minister Gallant to resign, 50% want Army Chief to go.
• Humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with 2.3M displaced and 34,000 Palestinian casualties reported.
• Uncertainty over Israel's leadership and resolution of the Gaza crisis as pressure mounts.