Majority of Israelis Believe Netanyahu Is Acting Primarily for Personal Interest

A survey from Israel's Channel 13 shows if elections were held today, Benny Gantz's National Unity party would beat Netanyahu's Likud

The majority of Israelis believe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s wartime decision-making is primarily motivated by his own personal interest, according to a survey conducted by Israel’s Channel 13.

The survey found that 53% of respondents believed Netanyahu was acting for himself, and only 33% said he was acting for the good of the country.

The Channel 13 survey found that if elections were held in Israel today, former Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s National Unity party would win more seats in the Knesset than any other party, with Netanyahu’s Likud party coming in second. Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet, would then be tasked to form a government, and Netanyahu would be ousted as prime minister.

Other polling has shown the majority of Israelis want Netanyahu to resign once the brutal Israeli campaign in Gaza is over, giving him the incentive to continue the assault and provoke a wider regional war that could bring in the US. Israel has been conducting major airstrikes in Lebanon and Syria, including a recent attack that killed five members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in Damascus.

US officials recently told The Washington Post that they fear Netanyahu might view a full-blown war in Lebanon as key to his political survival. US officials have said they’re putting pressure on Netanyahu not to provoke a major regional war, but the escalations have continued, and the US still continues to provide Israel with unconditional military aid.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.