63% of Israelis want Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to resign in a sharp public rebuke over his handling of the war in Lebanon, a newspaper poll showed today.
The Yedioth Aronoth poll showed for the first time a majority favoured Mr Olmert stepping down, along with a big jump in support for the right-wing Likud party and its leader, Benjamin Netanyahu.
Another poll in the Maariv newspaper showed that only 14% of Israelis would vote for Mr Olmert if new elections were held today, while 26% would back Mr Netanyahu, a former prime minister.
The Yedioth poll said 45% would support Mr Netanyahu as prime minister in new elections.
Yedioth, Israel's biggest circulation daily, called the survey results a political 'earthquake' for Mr Olmert, whose centrist Kadima party crushed Netanyahu's Likud in general elections in March.
A similar poll published a week ago showed 41% wanted Mr Olmert to resign.
