In his worst nightmares, Minister of Finance Yair Lapid could not have imagined that 75% of the public would be dissatisfied with his performance. But this was the figure in the latest "Globes"-Smith Institute opinion poll, which also asked the public to rate the performance of Israel's leaders.
This disappointment also translates into Knesset seats with the poll finding that Yesh Atid would win only 10 Knesset seats were elections held today, down from 11 seats in the previous poll, 12 seats two months ago, and 19 seats in the elections.
Even Lapid's cancellation of the planned income tax hike, which he announced live on prime time TV, and his shortening of the summer school vacation, have not helped his plight. President Shimon Peres is also reportedly no fan and has told political leaders off the record about Lapid, "You can't just be shallow water, you've also got to have depth."
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is faring slightly better in the polls. 54% of the public are not happy with his performance and the poll shows Likud-Beitenu losing one seat to 36 mandates from 37 last month but well up from the 31 in the elections last January.
The two parties gaining those seats were Habayit Hayehudi, which would win 13 seats compared with 12 last month and the 12 it won in the elections, and Shas in the post Ovadia Yosef era would win 11 seats, up one seat from last month and equaling the number it won in the elections.
All the other parties are unchanged from last month: Labor 19, up from 15 in the elections; Meretz 9, up from six in the elections; United Torah Judaism 8, up from 7 in the elections; Hatnuah 3, down from 6 in the elections, and the three Arab parties 11, the same as the elections.
The poll also asked the public who they would like to see as the next president after Shimon Peres's term ends. 36% would like to see Reuven Rivlin as head of state, 10% chose Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, 5% chose Dalia Itzik, 15% named another person, and 34% had no preference.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 26, 2013
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2013