Most Israelis Want Olmert Out

The Bush White House and the Israeli Cabinet have claimed victory in South Lebanon over Hezbollah. At the same time, Hezbollah claims to have won, and its claim is backed up by Syria, Iran and others. The latest opinion polls in Israel suggest Hezbollah came out on top because the Israelis want Prime Minister Olmert to quit.

The mass-circulation Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper took a poll which showed 63% want Mr. Olmert to find other work. Amir Peretz, his defense minister, has 74% calling for his resignation, and 54% want the Army’s chief of staff, Lieutenant General Dan Halutz, to retire to the countryside. Some 74% of those polled said Mr. Olmert’s actions during the war were “not good.”

“Ladies and gentleman: an upheaval,” the editors wrote about their poll. “Upheaval is not the word. Earthquake would be more suitable to describe the condition of the Olmert government 110 days after its term of office began.” And judging from this and other opinion polls in Israel, the electorate is ready to turn right.

The Jerusalem Post reported “A Ma'agar Mohot poll, broadcast on Channel 2 on Thursday evening found that if the election was held today, the Likud and Israel Beiteinu would each win 24 seats, Kadima would fall from 29 to 14, and Labor would fall from 19 to only 9. According to a different Ma'agar Mohot poll taken few days ago for the newspaper Israel, Labor would become the sixth largest party after the next election. Kadima would win 23 seats, Likud 20, Israel Beiteinu 15, Shas 13, the National Union-National Religious Party 12 and Labor only 12.”

Meanwhile, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah was named the most popular man in Egypt by a local poll, Hezbollah gets 87% support in a poll in Lebanon, and among Lebanese Christians (usually less strident in anti-Israeli sentiments) the figure is 80%. Everybody loves a winner, and the Israelis don’t seem particularly fond of Mr. Olmert and his team.

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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