In Postwar Israel, Olmert Loses Support

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, attends a cabinet meeting in Jerusalem in this Aug. 23, 2006 file photo. Olmert's popularity plunged after Israel's war with Hezbollah and he would likely lose to the right-wing opposition if elections were held now, according to a poll published Friday, Aug. 25 2006. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty) (Oded Balilty - AP)

JERUSALEM -- Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's popularity has plunged sharply after Israel's war with Hezbollah and he would likely be crushed by the right-wing opposition if elections were held now, according to a poll published Friday.

The next vote is not scheduled until 2010. However, Olmert's government could be forced out earlier amid growing public anger over his performance during the war, which ended inconclusively after 120 Israeli soldiers and 39 civilians were killed. At least 854 people were killed in Lebanon.

Olmert has faced increasing pressure in recent days. including calls by army reservists and bereaved parents that he step down or at least submit to a sweeping investigation of his wartime performance.

Olmert has agreed in principle to calls for a war inquiry, and he is expected to decide within days what kind should be conducted. The most sweeping inquiry would be a state commission, with powers to dismiss government and military officials.

In the meantime, angry protests have grown in number and scope. On Friday, several hundred protesters, including bereaved families, gathered at the graveside of former Prime Minister Golda Meir, who resigned in the wake of the 1973 Yom Kippur War.

Alifaz Bailoa, who lost his son, Nadav, in the war, called on Olmert to follow her example.

"I am hurt not only by your loss," he said, addressing his dead son, "but also by an entire nation that has lost its way and by its leaders who are not able to take responsibility and say 'we were wrong,' and for this they need to (resign).

"It hurts me that I taught you to love your country unconditionally and from today, for the first time in my life, I am asking myself: 'Is my way right?" he said. "I call at this time on the government of Israel: Take responsibility. Resign. You have done enough damage."

Opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu, the head of the hard-line Likud Party who just five months ago was soundly defeated in elections, has now emerged as the most popular Israeli politician, according to the poll by the Dahaf Institute, published Friday in the Yediot Ahronot daily. The survey of 499 Israelis had an error margin of 4.5 percentage points.

If elections were held now, Netanyahu's right-wing Likud would emerge as the strongest party, with 20 seats in the 120-member parliament, the poll said. Olmert's centrist Kadima would drop sharply, from 29 to 17 seats, and Kadima's junior coalition partner, the moderate Labor Party, would only get 11 seats, down from 19.

Right-wing and religious parties would form the largest bloc in parliament, but not obtain a clear majority because of a large number of undecided voters, the poll said.

When given a choice between Netanyahu and Olmert as prime minister, 45 percent chose Netanyahu and 24 percent supported Olmert. Netanyahu's renewed popularity comes after a year on the political fringe, following his opposition to Israel's unilateral pullout from the Gaza Strip last summer.

Meanwhile, the three who led the war _ Olmert, Defense Minister Amir Peretz of Labor and army chief Lt. Gen. Dan Halutz _ were given failing grades. Seventy-four percent rated Olmert's war performance as "not good" and 79 percent said the same of Peretz. Sixty-three percent said the army chief didn't do well.

Of those polled, 63 percent called on Olmert to resign, while 74 percent said the same of Peretz and 54 percent wanted Halutz to quit.

Political analyst Hanan Kristal said Olmert had lost his credibility with the Israeli public and was lucky the elections were so far off. If he could survive the potential inquiry, he would likely be able to hold on to his job, he said.

But "if there will be no investigation committee, the demonstrations will continue," he said.