Netanyahu's Approval Ratings Plummet Amid Protests and Calls for New Leadership

Potential successors within the Likud party and other potential leaders are emerging as Israel faces a leadership crisis.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's approval ratings have significantly dropped following the October 7 Hamas massacre, with two-thirds of respondents in a Lazar Research survey saying they would choose 'anyone else' for the role.
If elections were held now, the Likud Party, currently holding 32 seats, would only get 16, while Benny Gantz’s National Unity party would get 37 seats, and Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid party would follow with 14 seats.
Despite Netanyahu's insistence on staying in power, protests are intensifying with increasing calls for a new government entirely.
Potential successors within the Likud party include Economy Minister Nir Barkat, Foreign Minister Israel Katz, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman MK Yuli Edelstein.
Other potential leaders emerging from the current crisis include former prime minister Naftali Bennett, former justice minister and interior minister Ayelet Shaked, former communications minister Yoaz Hendel, former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen, and current Minister-without-portfolio MK Gideon Sa’ar.