Large share of Israelis prefer holding new elections if no coalition formed, IDI survey shows

A recent Israel Democracy Institute survey reveals that many Israelis would opt for new elections if a coalition can't be formed following the upcoming Knesset election. Thirty-seven percent of Jewish Israelis and 46% of Arab Israelis surveyed preferred fresh elections over minority or unity governments with rotating members. However, only 25% of Jews and 23% of Arabs favored a minority government, while 9% of Arabs backed a unity government with rotation.

If a coalition was successful, 37% of Jews preferred a broad coalition of Jewish Zionist parties, excluding Haredi parties. A majority of Arab Israelis, 71%, preferred a coalition of Center and Left parties, including Arab parties. Only 14% of Jews shared this preference, making it the least popular option for them.

When asked which bloc had the highest chance of forming the next government, there was no clear consensus. The Right-Haredi bloc was perceived as having a higher chance by 27.5% of participants, though opinions varied significantly by demographic. Thirty-one percent believed the opposition bloc had the best chance, with 29% of Jews and 42% of Arabs supporting this view.

The majority of respondents agreed that the leader of the party with the most votes should be appointed prime minister to boost political stability. Both Jewish Israelis (63%) and Arab Israelis (51%) agreed with this proposal. Yashar's Eisenkot was seen as the easiest option for prime minister, chosen by 56% of Jews and 55% of Arabs.

Naftali Bennett (51.5% of Jews and 48% of Arabs) and Benjamin Netanyahu (51% of Jews and 48% of Arabs) were the second most acceptable candidates, while Benjamin Netanyahu was the least favorable option for Arab Israelis, with 84% finding it hard to accept.