Poll: Israeli Voters Want New Prime Minister

Sixty percent of Israelis want Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be replaced when their country holds elections in March, according to a poll released this week by The Jerusalem Post.

Respondents were asked Wednesday if they wanted Netanyahu to continue in his role as prime minister after the March 17 elections, with 34 percent saying yes and 6 percent saying they didn’t know. The 500 adults polled were also asked who they would like to see elected to the office were there to be direct elections.

[READ: Netanyahu's Disagreements Mean Israeli Elections Likely to Come Next Year]

Forty-six percent of those asked if they would prefer Netanyahu or former Welfare and Social Services Minister Moshe Kahlon said they would prefer Kahlon, while 36 percent preferred Netanyahu. In a matchup between Netanyahu and former Interior Minister Gideon Sa’ar, 43 percent preferred Sa’ar and 38 percent preferred Netanyahu.

The current prime minister came out ahead by 17 points in a one-on-one matchup against a recently dismissed member of his cabinet: Yair Lapid, who had served as finance minister. Netanyahu set his country on the path to elections next year when earlier this week he fired Lapid and Justice Minister Tzipi Livni, following a last-ditch meeting between Netanyahu and Lapid Monday in an attempt to resolve their differences.

The two disagree on a host of issues, including a controversial bill codifying Israel as the official nation-state of the Jewish people and several measures related to Israel’s 2015 budget. Netanyahu said Monday following the meeting that the disagreement among those in his cabinet meant elections would be necessary, even though they were not scheduled for another two years.

"If the unprecedented manner in which some of the ministers have been conducting themselves continues, we will have no choice but to ask the voters to place their faith in us once again,” Netanyahu said. “This is not the alternative I prefer, but a self-impeding coalition, whose ministers hamper its actions and policies in clear contrast to public interest, is worse."

Members of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, voted on Wednesday to dissolve in another push toward early elections.

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Kahlon was formerly a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, but on Wednesday announced he is forming a new political party that “will not seek power and authority, and will be determined, experienced and not corrupt.” He did not announce the name of the party nor names of individuals expected to join it.

Netanyahu’s current governing coalition is composed of members of five parties, but the infighting between ministers means it's unlikely the parties will remain aligned as-is next year. The composition of the coalition will determine who has enough seats to form the government.

The poll, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percent, also asked Israelis which issue will determine what party they vote for in the elections. Thirty-four percent of respondents said the economy and 30 said security. Only 5 percent said Arab-Jewish relations and 1 percent said Israel’s foreign relations.

Recent violence in Israel between Israelis and Palestinians is a clear sign that peace negotiations between the two sides will not resume anytime soon. The last round of talks was led by the U.S. but collapsed in April, and it's believed Netanyahu's unwillingness to give in on key issues stems from his desire to maintain control of his coalition.