Poll indicates Bennett closing in on Netanyahu as preferred leader

A poll today indicates that Yamina leader Naftali Bennett continues to close in on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the best person to lead Israel in the eyes of the public.

The Channel 12 poll asks who is most suitable to lead the country. Thirty-two percent say Netanyahu, while 28 percent say Bennett who has seen his popularity surge since going into the opposition and presenting clear plans for dealing with the coronavirus crisis.

Netanyahu on the other hand has been widely panned for his handling of the virus and the economy. He has also faced widespread protests since being charged in three corruption cases.

Netanyahu also dropped when people were offered opposition leader Yair Lapid as an alternative. Netanyahu garnered 40% compared to Lapid’s 20%. The gap in a previous poll was 28%.

Bennett’s Yamina also surged in a poll over party vote.

If elections were held today, Likud would drop to 28 seats, Yamina would more than quadruple its support to 22 seats. Lapid’s Yesh Atid gets 17, Joint  List has 13 and Benny Gantz’s Blue and White would score 11.

The poll also gives 8 seats to each of the ultra-Orthodox parties, Shas and UTJ, 7 seats to Avigdor Lieberman’s Yisrael Beytenu party and Meretz gets 6.