Poll: Israelis prefer Netanyahu as PM over Lapid, Bennett and Gantz

More Israelis believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is better suited to lead the country than Opposition Leader Yair Lapid, former premier Naftali Bennett, and National Unity chair Benny Gantz, according to a new television poll.

Asked who they prefer for the role of prime minister, 32 percent of respondents to the Channel 12 news survey say Netanyahu and 28% Lapid, while 31% said neither and 4% didn’t know.

Between Netanyahu and Bennett, 33% of respondents say they prefer the premier while 32% voice support for the former prime minister, with 31% saying neither is fitted to the role and 4% answering “don’t know.”

Between Netanyahu and Gantz, 32% say they prefer the incumbent, while 28% say they’d back the National Unity chair.

The poll, which appears to mark a rise in support for Netanyahu, comes two days after he addressed a joint session of Congress in Washington.

But the Channel 12 poll says 65% of respondents say the speech didn’t change their views on the prime minister, while 48% believe he went to Washington to pursue his own personal interests, rather than those of the state (44%).