Poll: Nearly half of Israelis support cancelling September elections

Almost half of Israelis support efforts to cancel the fresh elections scheduled for September, according to a poll conducted by i24NEWS and Israel Hayom.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly been recently exploring ways of cancelling the elections and renewing efforts to form a coalition government.

On Tuesday, Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein (Likud) declared that he had “found a parliamentary framework and there is an option to cancel the most unnecessary elections in Israel’s history”.

The public opinion poll revealed that 48 per cent of Israelis support such a move, with 29 per cent opposing (another 23 per cent of respondents said they “don’t know”).

Meanwhile, the same i24NEWS–Israel Hayom poll also found that a clear majority – 57 per cent – of Israelis back the formation of a unity government between Likud and the opposition Blue and White list headed by former military chief Benny Gantz.

READ: Netanyahu may try to avoid new elections in light of poor polling data

Twenty-one per cent rejected such a development, and 22 per cent said they “don’t know”.

The possibility of unity government between Likud and Blue and White is reportedly being considered in the context of cancelling the September elections, allowing for a stable coalition government to emerge.

Blue and White, however, has reiterated its opposition to sitting in government with Netanyahu, who faces indictments later this year on corruption allegations.