In a recent electoral survey conducted by KAN News, Benny Gantz’s National Unity party emerged stronger with 30 mandates, posing a challenge to the incumbent Likud party, which secured 27. This trend underscores the evolving political landscape in the nation, with Netanyahu’s coalition waning, settling at 53 mandates.
Following closely behind are other political factions: Yesh Atid has garnered 17 mandates, the Religious Zionist Party claims 10, the Shas party claims nine, and United Torah Judaism claims seven.
Additionally, Yisrael Beytenu, Meretz, Ra’am, and Hadash-Ta’al each notch up five mandates. The Labor party is on the brink, not yet crossing the electoral threshold, but showing promise with a rise to 3.1%. Notably, Balad hasn’t crossed the threshold either.
Potential passing of reasonableness standard
A particularly contentious issue addressed in the poll was the passing of the reasonableness clause. The findings indicate that 46% of the respondents are against it, while 35% are in favor.
19% remain undecided on the reasonableness clause. Despite a majority resistance to the clause, a significant portion of respondents, 47%, also expressed opposition to dodging reserve duty.
Israelis take part in a protest where military reservists sign pledge to suspend voluntary military service if the government passes judicial overhaul legislation near the defence ministry in Tel Aviv, Israel July 19, 2023. The placard in Hebrew reads ”The War of liberation”. (credit: REUTERS/AMIR COHEN)The survey, conducted online and encompassing a broad demographic including the Arab sector, engaged 602 individuals aged 18 and above. With 3,256 individuals approached for responses, the poll holds a sampling error of 4.1%.
Defense Minister Gallant advocates for a postponement of the reasonableness standard bill
Regarding leadership, when questioned about Yoav Gallant’s potential support for the law and his consequent role, nearly half of those polled believe he should remain, contrasting with a quarter who feel Netanyahu should replace him.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has recently been advocating for a postponement of the vote on the controversial “reasonableness standard bill,” an amendment to Basic Law: The Judiciary, which aims to limit judicial review on decisions made by elected officials.
If passed, courts would be barred from applying the “reasonableness standard” to certain government decisions, a move many fear could undermine democratic checks and balances. The bill has especially drawn attention after over 1,000 Air Force reservists declared they’d cease their voluntary reserve duty, joining numerous others from the IDF’s intelligence and special forces.
This isn’t Gallant’s first brush with controversy; in March, he narrowly avoided dismissal by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after publicly opposing similar legislation. The current bill has sparked intense debate, with the potential to reshape the balance between Israel’s judicial and executive branches.
Eliav Breuer contributed to this report.
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