Poll: 66 percent believe Katsav has to go
Two-thirds of Israelis call on president to resign; Peres takes decisive lead in poll for presidency. Among Olmert's candidates: Noble Laureate Eli Wiesel
A poll taken Tuesday night on a representative sample of 502 respondents by Yedioth Ahronoth together with the Dahaf Institute, headed by Dr. Mina Tzemach, shows that 66 percent of the public believe that Katsav has to go. Twenty-four percent responded that, as of now, there is no need for him to resign. The rest abstained.
If Katsav goes, who will replace him? In a rare expression of opinion on his way to Moscow, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert hinted that he prefers a "non-political" president – in other words, a governmental figure who will come from the outside, not from the Knesset and not from one of the parties. Many names have already been tossed around including past and present public figures, writers, Israel Prize winners, and more.
One of the names mentioned as a possible candidate favored by Olmert is writer and Noble Peace Prize Laureate Eli Wiesel.
Rivlin favored in Knesset
The Dahaf poll also examined the question of succession. In first place is the man who suffered an upset in the first round against Katsav, Vice Premier Shimon Peres (Kadima) with 42 percent of the respondents backing him.
In a far second with 16 percent, the public indicated Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, chief rabbi of Tel Aviv and former chief rabbi of Israel. MK Reuven Rivlin (Likud), former Knesset speaker, is in third place with 10 percent.
The next in line according to the poll are Prof. Amnon Rubinstein with 7 percent, Amos Oz with 4 percent, MK Colette Avital (Labor) with 3 percent, and industrialist Eli Horowitz with 1 percent.
Seventeen percent of the respondents answered "No one" or "Don't know." However, the public aren't the ones who choose the president. That is up to the 120 Knesset members. In the legislative body, in the meantime, MK Reuven Rivlin is the favored candidate.
