Most Israelis want prime minister to resign

JERUSALEM, Aug 25: Sixty-three per cent of Israelis want Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to resign in a sharp public backlash over his handling of the war in Lebanon, a newspaper poll showed today.

The Yedioth Aronoth, Israel's biggest circulation newspaper, called the poll a political ''earthquake'' for the Olmert government.

A career politician who lacks the combat credentials of many of his predecessors, Olmert has seen his public standing decline sharply for failing to deliver a fatal blow to Hizbollah.

The Yedioth poll for the first time showed a majority -- 63 per cent -- favoured Olmert stepping down.

In addition to calling for Olmert's resignation, 74 per cent of respondents said Defence Minister Amir Peretz should go and 54 percent want army chief Dan Halutz to step down, the poll showed.

An Aug 16 poll published by Yedioth showed 41 per cent of Israelis wanted Olmert to resign and 57 per cent wanted Peretz to go.

At least 1,110 people in Lebanon and 157 Israelis were killed in the conflict.

Except for Israel's ongoing conflict with the Palestinians, Israel suffered heavier civilian casualties in the Lebanon conflict than in any fighting since the war at the creation of the Jewish state in 1948.

REUTERS