52% of Blue and White voters in favor of coalition with Arab parties - poll

"I thought this party would share a consensus of a Jewish and democratic state," Minister Bezalel Smotrich said. "It's sad that there's a minority blinded by their hatred of Netanyahu."

By ALON EINHORN
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz speaks at the Yitzhak Rabin memorial rally, Tel Aviv, November 2 2019 (photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)
Blue and White leader Benny Gantz speaks at the Yitzhak Rabin memorial rally, Tel Aviv, November 2 2019
(photo credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/MAARIV)
52% of Blue and White voters are in favor of forming a coalition with outside support of the Joint List, while 44% are against, according to an Army Radio poll published on Monday.
The poll asked whether "Due to the political circumstances - must we form a government even at the cost of cooperation with the Joint List?"
Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich claimed that "It's surprising that only 44% of Blue and White voters are against a coalition with the Joint List. I thought this party would share a consensus of a Jewish and democratic state. It's sad that there's a minority blinded by their hatred of [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu."
However, the vast majority of Likud voters (83%) were against cooperation with the Arab parties with only 7% being in favor. Among all of those who answered, 59% were against cooperation with the Joint List as opposed to 34% in favor.
Regarding assuming the role of prime minister, 44% prefer that Netanyahu continues in the role, whereas 39% voted in favor of Blue and White leader Benny Gantz.
The poll also asked whether the appointment of New Right MK Naftali Bennett as defense minister was right; 43% answered that it was not. In terms of Blue and White voters, 74% voted against the appointment.
Asked at what point they believe Netanyahu will have to step down from his position as prime minister, 39% answered that he should resign if he is indicted, 14% that he should resign when the trial begins, and 34% believe he should remain in office until the court reaches its decision.
The most surprising aspect of the poll is a good sign for Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Liberman. Most of his current supporters claimed they would not consider voting for anyone else despite his latest remarks – and an additional 9% who did not vote for him said that they would consider doing so in a third election.