New Israeli Poll Brings Back Hope to Netanyahu

Benjamin Netanyahu has a new opportunity to return to power (AFP)
Benjamin Netanyahu has a new opportunity to return to power (AFP)
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New Israeli Poll Brings Back Hope to Netanyahu

Benjamin Netanyahu has a new opportunity to return to power (AFP)
Benjamin Netanyahu has a new opportunity to return to power (AFP)

A new poll, published on Friday, has shown that Israel’s opposition led by Benjamin Netanyahu is close to getting the majority of seats while the government would probably lose eight seats (13 percent) of its power.

Lawmaker David Bitan spoke with Radio 103FM Friday, following the release of the poll which projects the Netanyahu bloc – the Likud, United Torah Judaism, Shas, and Religious Zionist Party – receiving just 59 seats.

Bitan predicted: “Only Netanyahu can get 61 seats. You can put me on record saying it: We will get more than 61 seats in the next election.”

The poll was published in The Jerusalem Post and Maariv to increase conviction that PM Naftali Bennet’s government would collapse soon.

The poll found that 65 percent of Israelis are not satisfied with the performance of the Prime Minister, and only 30 percent said he is performing well.

Experts agree that this government can’t last until the end of its term.

Although the opposition is also facing a crisis and is incapable of garnering the majority, the recent polls' results restore hope in achieving a progress that would bring the opposition back to power.

According to the poll, 69 percent of respondents don’t want an Arab party in the next government, only 22 percent want one, and nine percent don’t know.

The survey shows that the Arab MPs' influence at the Knesset is increasing and the government is forced to abstain from ignoring them.

The United Arab List alone can be decisive and guarantee the battle in favor of Netanyahu.

In return, there is the Joint List that consists of three Arab parties led by Ayman Odeh. The list becomes a decisive power according to the poll, and it is endorsing an objective policy towards the Arabs’ rights but refuses to be part of the coalition.



Rubio: 83% of USAID Contracts Will be Canceled

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with the media on his military airplane as he flies to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia March 10, 2025. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with the media on his military airplane as he flies to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia March 10, 2025. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS
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Rubio: 83% of USAID Contracts Will be Canceled

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with the media on his military airplane as he flies to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia March 10, 2025. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with the media on his military airplane as he flies to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia March 10, 2025. SAUL LOEB/Pool via REUTERS

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that the US was cancelling 83% of programs funded by USAID, as the Trump administration guts spending not aligned with its “America First” agenda.

The US Agency for International Development (USAID) distributes humanitarian aid around the world, with health and emergency programs in around 120 countries, and critics warn that slashing its work will affect millions of people.

“After a 6 week review we are officially cancelling 83% of the programs at USAID,” Rubio said on social media platform X.

“The 5,200 contracts that are now cancelled spent tens of billions of dollars in ways that did not serve, (and in some cases even harmed), the core national interests of the United States.”

US President Donald Trump returned to office on January 20 and immediately ordered a 90-day pause on foreign aid pending a review of whether the programs align with his “America First” foreign policy.

The order, and ensuing stop work orders, threw USAID into turmoil, halting the agency's operations around the world, jeopardizing the delivery of life-saving food and medical aid and throwing global humanitarian relief efforts into chaos.

The administration said it provided waivers for life-saving aid, but humanitarian workers around the world said the funding remained shut.

Thousands of staff were put on leave or fired and contractors terminated. The majority of those put on leave are not expected to be reinstated.

On Monday, the top US diplomat also thanked the staffers of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency led by billionaire Elon Musk, who has been conducting an unprecedented scaling down of the US federal government.

“Thank you to DOGE and our hardworking staff who worked very long hours to achieve this overdue and historic reform,” Rubio said.

A few hours later, Musk responded: “Tough, but necessary. Good working with you. The important parts of USAID should always have been with Dept of State.”

His comments came after the New York Times reported that he and Musk clashed during a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, with Musk accusing the top US diplomat of not carrying out deep enough staff cuts at the State Department.

At the meeting, Trump told his Cabinet heads that they, not Musk, have the final say on staffing and policy at their agencies, Reuters reported. Trump denied the NYT report on Friday when asked about it by reporters.

Trump, Musk and Rubio had dinner on Saturday evening at Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Sunday.