A new poll published by Israel’s Channel 12 News indicates that a majority of Israelis would prefer to see a new prime minister after the next election, with only 32% supporting another term for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, while 58% say they want a different candidate to lead the country.

The survey also found that 67% of respondents believe U.S. President Donald Trump is the person who effectively determines Israel’s security policy, compared to just 22% who believe Netanyahu is making those decisions. Even among coalition voters, 47% said Trump is setting Israel’s security policy, while 43% credited Netanyahu.

Respondents were also asked whether recent events have raised concerns about the future of Israeli democracy. Following reports of pressure on Likud MKs during the State Comptroller election and demonstrations outside the home of Supreme Court Deputy President Justice Noam Sohlberg, 53% said they are concerned about the future of democracy in Israel, while 38% said they are not concerned.

Regarding the war against Hezbollah, 56% rated Netanyahu’s performance as poor, compared to 39% who said he has performed well. Defense Minister Yisrael Katz received even lower marks, with 60% rating his performance as poor and 31% saying it has been good.

In contrast, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir received significantly stronger support from the public. Fifty-nine percent rated his performance in the conflict with Hezbollah as good, while 28% rated it negatively.

The poll also examined public perceptions of trustworthiness among Netanyahu, Gadi Eisenkot, and Naftali Bennett. Eisenkot led the field, with 38% saying he is the most trustworthy, followed by Netanyahu at 27% and Bennett at 12%.

When asked who would best represent and care for his voters, Eisenkot again led with 28%, followed by Netanyahu at 25% and Bennett at 16%.

On the issue of national security, Eisenkot narrowly topped Netanyahu, with 36% saying he would best safeguard Israel’s security compared to 33% for Netanyahu. Bennett trailed with 12%.

Economic issues produced different results. Bennett ranked first on handling the economy and cost-of-living crisis with 28%, followed closely by Netanyahu at 26%, while Eisenkot received 16%.

On the issue of national unity and healing divisions within Israeli society, respondents ranked Eisenkot first at 27%, Bennett second at 21%, and Netanyahu third at 20%.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)