The survey indicates that if elections were held today, Netanyahu’s Likud party would secure 24 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.
Support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition has weakened significantly after the controversial dismissal of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the approval of a law exempting ultra-Orthodox Jews from mandatory military service, according to a new poll published on Friday.
According to the Anadolu news agency, the Maariv newspaper, citing the poll conducted by the Lazar Institute, reported that the Netanyahu-led coalition is projected to hold only 49 seats in the Knesset (parliament), while opposition parties are expected to have 61 seats.
Support for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s coalition has weakened sharply after dismissing Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and approving a law exempting ultra-Orthodox Jews from military service, a new poll shows https://t.co/5TOSs44XNJ pic.twitter.com/WoXs9UKLrJ
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) November 8, 2024
Additionally, 57 percent of respondents disagreed with Netanyahu’s decision to dismiss Gallant, with only 29 percent supporting it.
The survey indicates that if elections were held today, Netanyahu’s Likud party would secure 24 seats in the 120-seat Knesset.
The opposition National Unity party, led by Benny Gantz, is expected to win 19 seats, while Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid would secure 15 seats.
Exemption Law
Meanwhile, Religious Zionism, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, has fallen below the 3.25 percent electoral threshold for the second consecutive week, effectively eliminating it from the Knesset.
Gallant Out, Katz In – Netanyahu Uses US Election Day to Reshuffle amid Israeli Chaos
The poll’s findings reflect growing discontent with Netanyahu’s policies, reported Anadolu.
Public outrage over the exemption law, which exempts ultra-Orthodox men from mandatory military service, has fueled criticism across Israel, where many see the law as favoring one segment of society at the expense of others.
Netanyahu dismissed Gallant from his position as minister of defense on Tuesday and replaced him with Likud Party ally Israel Katz, while also appointing Gideon Sa’ar as Foreign Minister.
The move triggered street protests from outraged Israelis concerned about the move’s security effect during the war.
Ongoing Genocide
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
GAZA HEALTH MINISTRY: 43,508 Palestinians have been killed, and 102,684 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023. pic.twitter.com/D4Sb3zHwNu
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) November 8, 2024
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 43,508 Palestinians have been killed, and 102,684 wounded.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Millions Displaced
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
(PC, Anadolu)
