Israelis to Decide if Netanyahu Will Stay or Go in Upcoming Election – Here’s What We Know
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- Depending on which poll you believe
Netanyahu's party isrunning a little ahead of
or a little behind thenew Blue and White Party.
It's a coalition led bypolitical newcomer, Benny Gantz,
former Chief of theIsraeli Defense Forces.
In fact, the Blue and WhiteParty is a notable collection
of military and secular leaders.
Many of them once served with Netanyahu
but now are his bitter political rivals.
They see the pending indictmentof the Prime Minister
as an opportunity to replace him.
Israel's attorney generalannounced his intention
to indict Netanyahu justweeks before the election.
Since then, Likud has risen in the polls.
Knesset Speaker, Yuli Edelstein,
is Likud's second in command.
He often fields media questions
about the pending indictment.
- Do have to remind us thatindictment happens in court.
And before that, accordingto the very old rule,
everyone's innocent till proven guilty.
And that's the situation ofthe Prime Minister right now.
- [John] Pollster, Mitchell Barack says
even a week before the vote,
it doesn't feel like thecampaign has started.
- You know, there's beena lot of mud slinging
back and forth, but ifyou walk around Jerusalem
or Tel Aviv or anywhereelse, you don't see signs
on people's balcony.
You don't see signs in their window.
- [John] Netanyahu has reaped the benefits
of his close relationshipwith President Trump
and the visit of Brazilian
President Jair Bolsonaro to Israel.
Barack recently took anin-depth survey of Israelis
and found their support forTrump has skyrocketed to 73%.
Trump has fulfilled a dreambasket of Israeli wishes,
from moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem,
to recognizing theGolan as part of Israel,
to cracking down on Iranand Palestinian terrorists.
- So Israelis really, to a certain extent
see that there's a Likudnik, if you will,
a Likud person in theWhite House and they see
that Netanyahu is very, veryclose with President Trump.
- [John] Israelis will decide April 9th
whether those close US ties will be enough
to put Netanyahu over the top.
Experts say many if not most voters
won't even decide untilthe final four days.
John Waage, CBN News, Jerusalem.