Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Polls: Israelis Embrace Unity Deal; Israel Wants Bibi

Channel 10 poll conducted by the Sample Project company, found that 44 percent of the Israeli public supports Kadima’s joining Netanyahu's coalition:
44 percent of the Israeli public supports Kadima’s joining Netanyahu's coalition. In contrast, 37 percent said they opposed the move, while 18 percent of respondents claimed that they had no opinion on the subject.
The poll also found that Netanyahu continues to be the leading candidate were elections to be held in the near future. The poll found that 43 percent of the Israeli public believes Netanyahu is best suited to serve as Prime Minister.
The poll also found that Netanyahu’s popularity index has risen by five percent. Tuesday’s poll found that after he postponed the elections in favor of a broad unity government, Netanyahu’s popularity index stood at 46 percent, whereas in a previous poll conducted before the announcement, his popularity was 41 percent.
Israel Hayom poll conducted by the New Wave Research company shows 39.6% of Israeli public approve of unity government. 39.8% of public favors Netanyahu as next PM: 
When asked if they supported postponing elections and the formation of the unity government, 39.6% answered positively and 31.9% answered negatively. Twenty-eight percent said they were undecided. When asked who they felt is most suitable to serve as the next prime minister of Israel, 39.8% of respondents said Netanyahu, a significant uptick compared to an Israel Hayom poll conducted two weeks ago in which 29% said they would vote for Netanyahu. 

The biggest leap in support for Netanyahu came from the religious sector — more than 60% said Netanyahu is most suitable to be the next prime minister — followed by around 51% of 35-44 year-olds who felt the same way. More than 50% of people with average incomes also favored Netanyahu as the next prime minister. 
Maariv poll shows Israelis are divided on unity deal:
In a survey published in the Maariv newspaper on Wednesday, 30.7 percent of respondents expressed support for the formation of the surprise coalition, with 29.9 percent saying they were opposed and 31 percent expressing indifference. But over half of respondents -- 50.9 percent -- said the move was "justified as far as the interests of the country are concerned." 

The Maariv poll also showed that a solid majority, 57.4%, believe the new government will stay in power until the next elections, scheduled for fall 2013. 

On the plus side, the Maariv poll revealed that a slim majority, 44.9%, versus 39.5%, believes that the unity coalition advances Israel’s position vis-à-vis the Iranian nuclear threat.  
Haaretz/Dialog poll shows most Israelis believe the Likud-Kadima unity deal was driven by personal and political considerations rather than the national good: 
63 percent of respondents said the coalition was created for narrow political reasons, and only 23% said it was for the sake of the country’s future. Netanyahu and Mofaz stressed repeatedly at their joint press conference Tuesday that they had joined forces “in the national interest.”
Channel 2 poll: