A Channel 13 News poll published Wednesday night shows that if a unity government is formed between the Likud and Blue&White, with the Prime Minister’s position rotating between Benjamin Netanyahu and Benny Gantz, 50% said Netanyahu should serve first, while 37% said Gantz should. 13% didn’t know.
In addition, 52% of respondents said they supported putting a different Likud leader at the helm, if that’s what would be necessary to prevent a third election. 36% said they objected to such a move, and 12% didn’t know.
The Poll was conducted by Prof. Camille Fox, with 699 respondents – 584 Jews and 115 non-Jews, with a sampling error of +- 4.0%.
As to potential replacements for Netanyahu from the Likud ranks, 31% of respondents wanted Gideon Sa’ar, 11% chose Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein, 5% Gilad Arden and 5% Yisrael Katz, while 2% imagined Miri Regev running the show. 26% answered none of the above, and 20% didn’t know.
Of the Jewish respondents who identify as Likud voters, 26% answered Gideon Sa’ar, 10% Gilad Arden, 8% Yuli Edelstein, 6% Miri Regev, 5% Yisrael Katz, and 32% none of the above.
On the charges against the prime minister, 53% of respondents did not support the idea of a presidential pardon for Netanyahu, following which he would step down and not be prosecuted.
This move was used only once in Israel’s history, when Shin Bet chief Avraham Shalom stepped down rather than be prosecuted for lying and inducing his agents to lie in the case of the 1984 Egged bus 300, when Arab hijackers were shot dead by the Shin Bet agents who had captured them.
24% said they supported such a pardon, and 23% didn’t know.
In addition, 49% said they thought a Blue&White minority government, with Labor, the Democratic Camp and outside support from the Joint Arab List would be an illegitimate government. 38% said this would be a legitimate government, and 14% don’t know.