News Brief

(IsraelNN.com) According to a TNS poll published by Israeli newspaper Maariv on January 11, if the upcoming Winograd Report implicates Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in the failure of the IDF to win the Second Lebanon war, 72 percent of respondents said the prime minister should resign.  When asked what should occur if Olmert were to resign, 52 percent said new elections should be held, with 21 percent preferring a replacement government emplaced without elections, headed by Benjamin Netanyahu.

According to a Dahaf poll taken just 3 days prior for the Yediot Aharonot newspaper, 77 percent of respondents believe Olmert should resign if the Winograd report finds unfavorably against Olmert, and shows that Likud would win the most seats in new elections, with 28 going to Likud, 21 to Labor, 11 to Shas, 10 to Kadima, 10 to Arab parties, 8 to Israel Beiteinu, and 8 to the National Union/National Relgious Party.

The Dahaf Poll further revealed that an overwhelming 71 percent of those polled would support the exchange of captive IDF soldier Gilad Shalit for convicted murderer Marwan Barghouti.