Poll: Most Jewish Israelis say nation’s global status unhurt by Netanyahu ouster

A majority of Jewish Israelis believe Israel’s international standing has not suffered since the departure of Benjamin Netanyahu from the prime minister’s chair, according to a new poll by the Israel Democracy Institute, despite Netanyahu’s reputation in Israel as a shrewd diplomat.

In the periodic “Voice of Israel” survey, 37% of respondents said they felt Israel’s standing had stayed the same, while 28% believed it had improved. Only 29% said it had deteriorated.

Opposition leader MK Benjamin Netanyahu in the Knesset on October 11, 2021. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

The assessment that Israel’s standing had not declined also enjoyed a slim majority among voters who defined themselves as right-wing: 17% said it had improved and 34% said it was the same (for a total of 51%), while 44% said it had taken a hit.

Meanwhile, a majority of all Israelis (61%) believe the current government will manage to pass the state budget, thus ensuring its continued existence.