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News :: Israel / Palestine |
Israeli Poll: Sharon's credibility gap |
Current rating: 0 |
by haaretz via gehrig (No verified email address) |
22 Jan 2004
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The bribery scandal continues to chew him up: "Asked about the criminal affairs in which he is allegedly involved, 68 percent of respondents said they did not believe the prime minister's claim that he knew nothing, heard nothing and saw nothing." |
Last Update: 22/01/2004 16:43
Haaretz poll shows drop in Sharon's credibility
By Yossi Verter, Haaretz Correspondent
Approximately 59 percent of the Israeli public says that they do not believe Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will carry out the unilateral withdrawal in the territories, knows as the disengagement plan, which he announced in his speech at the Herzliya conference a few weeks ago, according to a survey conducted by Haaretz and the Dialogue polling agency, supervised by Professor Camil Fuchs.
The poll results show that Sharon's credibility, which was his winning ace in the elections last year, is sorely damaged.
According to the survey, a solid majority of 64 percent of the Israeli public says that if it transpires that Sharon was involved in criminal affairs, then he would have to resign.
This survey, which was held before the charges against contractor David Appel for bribing Sharon were presented Wednesday, indicates that the prime minister has plunged to the same level as his government.
Asked about the criminal affairs in which he is allegedly involved, 68 percent of respondents said they did not believe the prime minister's claim that he knew nothing, heard nothing and saw nothing.
The loss of faith in Sharon has permeated the ranks of his voters, the survey has found. Among voters in Sharon's Likud party, 56 percent share this lack of faith. In Shinui, a crucial and so far loyal partner in Sharon's ruling coalition, 77 percent of the voters do not believe him.
On his general performance, Sharon gets an average grade of 5.0. His government gets grades lower than 4.0 in handling the economy and social affairs. Labor also gets a failing grade, while Shinui would soar to 19 Knesset seats if elections were held today.
Last August 28, in a survey Haaretz published six months after Sharon's government was formed, the prime minister stood out in his grades above his government. The grade the public gives him on his functioning is 5.0, compared to 5.6 in the previous survey.
(c) 2004, Haaretz
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