A new poll in Israel shows that Israelis believe Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is better suited to lead their country than the three main challengers for his seat.
The poll, taken by Channel 12 news, shows Netanyahu came out on top in head-to-head matchups between him and former Premier Naftali Bennett, opposition leader Yair Lapid, and National Unity chair Benny Gantz, reported The Times of Israel Saturday.
Netanyahu netted 32% of those polled to 28% for Lapid, with 31% saying neither and 4% saying they didn't know.
Meanwhile, 33% said they prefer Netanyahu compared to 32% for Bennett, with 31% saying neither candidate and 4% saying they don't know.
With Netanyahu versus Gantz, 32% said they prefer the prime minister and 28% said they would pick Gantz.
The poll comes two days after Netanyahu was in Washington, D.C., to address a joint session of Congress, but 65% of those responding said the speech did not change their minds about him.
However, 48% said they think the prime minister was in Washington to pursue his personal interests, compared to 44% who said they believe he was there to benefit Israel.
The survey further showed that 62% of the respondents prefer that a hostage deal be reached to end the war in Gaza, compared to 29% who want a "total victory" over Hamas, reports The Jerusalem Post.
In addition, 51% of those responding said they believe Netanyahu's political considerations are preventing a hostage deal, with 40% saying regular operations are preventing the deal.
The respondents were also split on how they felt about Netanyahu's speech, with 38% saying they felt pride, 27% feeling disappointed, and 18% having mixed feelings.
The poll shows a departure from other polls earlier in July showing that a unified anti-Netanyahu party, led by Bennett, would come out ahead.