According to a recent opinion poll conducted by Israeli private Channel 12, two-thirds of the Israeli public favors Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stepping down and not running for another term.
The poll, carried out on Friday, revealed that 66 percent of respondents want the 74-year-old Netanyahu to retire and not pursue a seventh term as prime minister, while 27 percent support him staying in power and running again.
Another poll by the Maariv newspaper showed Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity Party, defeating Netanyahu in a potential race for the prime minister position.
Despite the growing opposition, Netanyahu shows no signs of planning early elections. Israel continues to face international criticism for its ongoing conflict in Gaza, which has escalated since October.
Netanyahu has been the target of widespread protests in Israel since the October 7 Hamas attack, which caught his administration and intelligence services off guard, damaging their credibility. Protesters have been urging him to negotiate a hostage-prisoner swap with Hamas and end the conflict in Gaza.
Even before the conflict in Gaza, Netanyahu faced significant opposition over his controversial plans for judicial reform. Critics argued that the proposed overhaul would undermine the country’s system of checks and balances, concentrating power in the hands of Netanyahu and his allies. This led to weekly protests against his government.
The war on Gaza has exacerbated the situation for Netanyahu, with thousands of Israelis and many political opponents now calling for his resignation. The ongoing conflict, which has lasted 267 days, has resulted in the deaths of at least 37,765 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and has injured 86,429. Over 10,000 people are believed to be buried under rubble, and 9,500 have been abducted by Israeli forces.
The extensive bombing has left much of Gaza in ruins and has caused severe shortages of essential supplies such as water, food, electricity, and medicine. Israel faces accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which recently ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its military invasion of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge.
