Public doubts Bibi’s motives
Almost half of poll respondents say Netanyahu’s resignation stemmed from personal interests; gap between Bibi and Sharon narrows
Finance Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resignation stems from personal interests and not from his concerns over the pullout plan, 47 percent of poll respondents say, according to a survey commissioned by newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.
According to the survey, only 29 percent of respondents believe Netanyahu’s move stemmed from his unwillingness to be a party to settlement evacuation, while another 10 percent thought he reached the conclusion he failed as finance minister.
On another front, 48 percent of respondents said Netanyahu’s decision was a political mistake, while 46 percent said he made the right decision.
Support for pullout down
Netanyahu, however, received some good news, in the form of a declining gap between him and Prime Minister Sharon. If the Likud wins the elections, 38 percent thought Sharon should lead the country, while 30 percent said Netanyahu is the man for the job. However, 30 percent said none of them should be the prime minister.
Following Netanyahu’s dramatic move, the survey examined public support for the upcoming disengagement plan.
About 39 percent of poll respondents said the evacuation should be thwarted (compared to 35 percent in a previous survey) while 55 percent said Israel should go ahead with the withdrawal (compared to 58 percent in a previous survey.) Six percent said they did not know, compared to 7 percent in a previous survey.
