Netanyahu's popularity on the rise

JERUSALEM, July 3 (UPI) -- Marking 100 days since Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu took office, a survey indicates his popularity has grown.

The results of a poll conducted by Haaretz published Friday, said Netanyahu's popularity rate was 18 percent higher than opposition leader Tzipi Livni, showing a much larger margin than when the two ran in the prime ministerial elections. The report failed to mention the comparison percentages.

When asked which of the two was better suited to lead the country, the survey found Netanyahu enjoyed a 52 percent approval rating to Livni's 34 percent.

The public appeared less enamored with Netanyahu's cabinet, with 40 percent of those asked saying they believed it was not leading Israel in the right direction versus 36 percent giving the cabinet their full support, Haaretz said.

Five hundred people participated in the Dialog survey Thursday conducted under the auspices of Professor Camil Fuchs of the Tel Aviv University. The margin of error was rated at 4.5 percentage points.