Public split over who should lead anti-Netanyahu bloc at next election, poll finds

The public is divided over who should lead an opposition bloc against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a Channel 12 news poll, with none of the seven candidates surveyed receiving more than 15 percent of backing from respondents.

The poll finds former prime minister Naftali Bennett to be the most popular candidate to lead an anti-Netanyahu bloc, with 15%, followed by National Unity party chair Benny Gantz with 14%, former Mossad spy agency chief Yossi Cohen (11%), Opposition Leader Yair Lapid (9%), Yisrael Beytenu party chair Avigdor Liberman (8%), National Unity MK Gadi Eisenkot (4%), and Labor party chair Yair Golan (3%).

The poll finds that 25% of respondents don’t know who should lead the bloc, while 11% want someone not listed in the survey.

Ruling Likud party voters are asked by the poll who they think should lead the party if Netanyahu decides not to run in the next elections, with Yossi Cohen coming out on top with 18% of respondents giving him their backing.

Cohen is followed by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant (12%), Justice Minister Yariv Levin (11%), Economy Minister Nir Barkat (8%), UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan (4%), Transportation Minister Miri Regev (4%), Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter (3%), Foreign Minister Israel Katz (3%), Energy Minister Eli Cohen (3%), former Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein (3%) and current Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana (2%).

Nine percent of respondents want someone else, and 20% don’t know who to support.