By Abderaouf Arnaout
JERUSALEM (AA) - A new opinion poll found that a plurality of Israelis oppose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to dismiss Gali Baharav-Miara, a government legal advisor who has drawn fire from Netanyahu and his allies.
The survey, published on Friday by Israeli daily Maariv, showed that 44% of Israelis oppose her dismissal, while 37% support it, with 19% undecided.
Baharav-Miara has faced significant criticism from right-wing parties and Netanyahu's supporters due to her stance opposing various government decisions, particularly those on judicial reform and the government’s handling of security issues.
In another significant finding, the poll indicated that for the fourth consecutive week, the far-right Religious Zionism party, led by Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, potentially failed to pass the electoral threshold required to remain in the Knesset (parliament).
The current threshold mandates that any party must secure at least 3.25% of the national vote to take seats in the 120-member Knesset.
If elections were held today, according to the poll, Netanyahu's Likud party would secure 25 seats, while the opposition National Unity party led by Benny Gantz would earn 19. The Yesh Atid party, led by opposition leader Yair Lapid, would win 15.
According to the poll, Netanyahu’s political bloc would command 50 seats, while the opposition would collectively get 60 seats.
To form a government in Israel, a coalition must secure at least 61 votes in the Knesset.
Despite these developments, there is currently no sign of early elections, as Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected calls for one amid the ongoing war. Some of his opponents charge he is dragging out the war in order to avoid facing angry voters.
The poll also indicated a potential shift in Israeli politics, showing that a new right-wing party led by former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett could secure 24 seats if it were to run in the upcoming elections.
The Maariv survey was conducted by the private Lazar Institute and included a random sample of 504 Israelis, with a margin of error of 4.4%.
Israel launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas in October 2023, so far killing more than 44,000 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 104,000.
The ICC announced in a landmark move on Thursday that it had issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant for possible war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.
* Writing by Ikram Kouachi