With only four month to go until the election, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has launched his campaign.
A day after the Israeli parliament dissolved itself after Prime Minister Naftali Bennett’s eight-party coalition lost its majority, Netanyahu hit the streets of Jerusalem seeking to return to the office for a sixth term.
Netanyahu, who’s right-wing alliance is currently leading in the polls, received a warm reception from the people in the Holy City. He “drew cheers from unexpecting bystanders, according to a social media video posted by the former prime minister,” The Times of Israel reported Friday. “Chants of “Bibi – king of Israel,” and “Only Bibi,” were heard as the longtime former leader walked between stores, accompanied by a team of bodyguards,” the news outlet added.
The Times of Israel reported former PM’s campaign launch:
Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu wasted no time after the dispersal of the Knesset on Thursday, kicking off his election campaign by touring a mall in Jerusalem and pledging to try and lower rising prices if he wins the upcoming election, set to take place November 1.Hours after the parliament voted to disband itself Thursday morning, calling the country’s fifth election since 2019, the opposition leader visited Jerusalem’s Malcha Mall and drew cheers from unexpecting bystanders, according to a social media video posted by the former prime minister. (…)Entering a bakery, he asked the staff about the prices of sugar and bread and vowed to take down prices if he is reelected as prime minister — as some early opinion polls have predicted could happen.“Prices have gone up because of this bad government. We will take it down and take down prices as well. That is our first mission,” he claimed.Netanyahu later entered a supermarket and walked over to the fruit section. Holding an apple, he turned to the crowd and asked: “Have prices gone up? Do you want them to go down? Take down this government and vote for us!”
With Israelis heading for a fifth election in five years, voters appear to favor the Netanyahu-led right-wing bloc. A polls carried out on Wednesday showed Netanyahu’s alliance winning 63 seats in the November election, enough to form a majority government in the 120-member Knesset.
President Trump, who’s policies earned him great popularity among the Israeli public, has signaled his backing for Netanyahu.
On Thursday, the former U.S. president said that he might consider endorsing Netanyahu despite past disappointments — a likely reference to the former Israeli prime minister’s decision to congratulate Joe Biden on winning the 2020 presidency amid electoral controversy.
“If he ran, I would certainly give it some thought. We’ll see what happens,” Trump told Newsmax. “He disappointed me in certain ways but he also did a very good job in other ways,” he added.
Trump may still have some sway over the Israeli voters. His decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and his central role in bringing about the historic Abraham Accords, which normalized the country’s relations with several Arab states, make Trump a popular figure in Israel.
A Pew survey from 2019 showed Trump’s support among Israelis at 71 percent, higher than in any other Western country. According to a 2020 pre-presidential election poll, 63 percent of Israelis favored Trump, compared to just over 18 percent who backed Biden.
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