48% of Israelis support re-election of PM NetanyahuMay 3, 2012 - 12:40 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - 48 percent of Israelis support the re-election of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to a poll published Thursday, May 3, by Haaretz daily. His closest rival, Shelly Yacimovich (Labor), got only 15 percent support. Next came Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beiteinu) with 9 percent, and finally Shaul Mofaz (Kadima) with 6 percent. That is a blow to Mofaz, who has been presenting himself as Netanyahu's only realistic rival, the daily says. The Prime Minister's strong showing on the suitability question, combined with all the polls showing his Likud party winning about 30 Knesset seats, prove he knew what he was doing when he decided last week to call early elections. Next week, the 18th Knesset will dissolve, two weeks after it began its summer session. The 19th Knesset will convene in mid-October, immediately after the Sukkot holiday, which is apparently when the new government will be sworn in. And according to all the polls, without exception, the new Prime Minister will once again be Netanyahu. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Putin congratulates Pashinyan’s birthday Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on his birthday on June 1. Opposition motorcade en route to Gyumri for large rally A motorcade of protesters headed by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan is heading to the city of Gyumri. Ruling MPs, Foreign Minister talk Armenia-Azerbaijan processes MOs from the ruling Civil Contract party met with the Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan in the Armenian parliament. Russia: Armenia’s frozen membership weakens CSTO position in Caucasus A Russian envoy said any step that could alienate the CSTO member states from each other is “deeply wrong”. |