New poll shows massive and rising support for Israel in the United States, Netanyahu almost as popular as Obama
A new opinion poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research for The Israel Project has shown a sharp rise in support for Israel in the United States. The poll also showed an extraordinary level of support for Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and for many key policies endorsed by his party, Likud.
The poll is highly significant since the Obama administration is believed to be on the verge of announcing a new strategy for peace in the Middle East.
Among the most striking findings of the survey are the following:
** 95 percent of respondents say that the Palestinians must recognise Israel as a specifically Jewish state, something that the Palestinian leadership has adamantly refused to do.
** 63 percent say the United States should take Israel’s side in the conflict — up 19 percentage points from a similar poll in June — compared to just 8 percent for the Palestinians.
** Asked whether their feelings towards various political leaders were warm or cold — where scores above 50 percent indicate warmth and scores below it indicate coolness — Netanyahu got a score of 56 percent, just 3 percentage points below Barack Obama.
** 72 percent believe that Netanyahu is right to call a halt to settlement while allowing for natural growth.
** 90 percent agree with President Obama that the Palestinian leadership must do more to stop anti-Israeli incitement across Palestinian culture.
A press release from the Israel project on the poll quoted Neil Newhouse of Public Opinion Strategies as saying, “U.S. support for Israel has been resilient through the years, and is shared by Americans across partisan and ideological lines. It’s clear that Americans feel a sense of shared values with Israelis and share in that country’s efforts to defend itself against terrorism.”
The survey, billed by the Israel project as bi-partisan, was conducted among a sample of 800 “likely voters” from August 22-25.
To read the full press release on the survey, click here:
http://www.theisraelproject.org/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=hsJPK0PIJpH&b=689705&ct=7462631
Tags: Israel
September 6th, 2009 at 11:44 am
I think this has as much to do with the precipitous decline in support for “Icarus” Obama as anything else.
“Icarus” Obama? Here’s my favourite journalist on the subject:
“What happened to President Obama? His wax wings having melted, he is the man who fell to earth.”
http://tinyurl.com/le8sg4
Rasmussen’s Daily Presidential Tracking Poll:
“The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows that 29% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-eight percent (38%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -9″
“Overall, 49% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President’s performance. Fifty-one percent (51%) disapprove.”
http://tinyurl.com/5tnd2b
A note about Rasmussen:
“A paid Fordham University analysis ranked Rasmussen Reports as the most accurate national polling firm in Election 2008.”
http://tinyurl.com/58ha9z
And from the Huffington Post of all places, this piece:
Obama’s Base Support Erodes
“The news for Obama fans continues to be bad, unfortunately. There may be a faint glimmer of a spark of hope in the numbers — but that’s about all I can promise here, sorry about that.”
http://tinyurl.com/nrp5bc
September 6th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
Robin and Joshua,
It’s the weekend so probably as good as any time to philosophize a little.
I’m not so sure that Obama’s approval ratings have much to do with it.
It seems to me that there just is and always has been consistent bi-partisan support for Israel in the U.S.
I’m an Australian and the same is true there.
Sure you’ll find jew-haters in the US and Oz, but somehow this bacteria never seems to get the grip on people in these countries that it does in Europe. Maybe the air is different in the ‘new worlds’. Your guess is as good as mine.
Whatever the reason it’s comforting to see such results in a poll. Makes my weekend that much more enjoyable.
September 6th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Forgive me for philosophizing further (hey, it’s the weekend) on the differences between the ‘new’ and ‘old’ worlds’ attitudes towards jews and israel:
I rate the chance that a mainstream Aussie newspaper would run stories with the sort of unfounded rubbish about jews and the holocaust as published in sweden’s Aftonbladet and various spanish newspapers about the same as that they would publish a story saying that the democrats were behind the 9-11 hijackings in order to make life tough for George W. Bush.
The chance that an Australian prime minister would then use freedom of speach as an excuse not to condemn such an article, I rate even lower.
Should something like the article in Aftonbladert appear in a major Australian paper, we’ll know that the bacteria has arrived.
September 7th, 2009 at 9:05 am
What a cheery read, but isn’t 800 rather too small a poll to mean very much? Em
Robin Shepherd says: The sample size does affect the margin of error, but it wouldn’t affect trends if they are emphatic. 800-1,000 is pretty typical for polls these days. Some have greater samples and some smaller.
September 8th, 2009 at 10:16 pm
To a degree I think it’s good that Israel and America “feel a sense of shared values,” as Mr Newhouse put it, because the majority of those values are conducive to democracy and peace. However, those underlying similarities have also allowed Mr Netanyahu to manipulate US public opinion.
Most Americans seem to believe that his recent speech at Bar Illan University amounted to a historic softening of policy. He promised to negotiate with Arab leaders at “any time, any place”; tentatively agreed to the principle of Palestinian statehood etc. But this was just an exercise in masterful rhetoric. The same obstinate preconditions to talks - unilateral demilitarisation; a refusal to negotiate over Jerusalem; a complete defence of settlements - were present as ever, only this time couched in pseudo-diplomatic overtures that sounded much sweeter to a well-intentioned American public.
I honestly think that, in the long term, Israel’s “special relationship” with America will prove to be as much to its detriment as its benefit.
PS It’s refreshing to see a news blog that takes a more formalised, article-based approach to posts. Good job…
September 9th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
I think that the more that Americans view Obama with distaste, then the Jewish courtiers who surround him will be viewed with even more contempt and distaste. This will then permeate and create a backlash of anti-Semitism in the USA that has yet hitherto been seen. I’m very depressed that so many Jews in the US have voted for someone whose background is at odds with anyone who is either Jewish and/or pro-Israel. What were they wearing when they voted? Blinkers?
September 14th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
As an American I support Israel mainly because they are the only country in the middle east who’s policies are consistent enough to trust. Most of the U.S. is tired of the State departments stance on Israel for the last 20 years which keeps rewarding the terrorists rather than letting Israel make their own decisions on how to defend their own country. They(state dept.) expect Israel to give up land for peace, a policy which has failed time & again. After 9.11 many Americans realized what we were dealing & got sick of the state department’s hypocritical stance of tying Israel’s hands. The revelations after Arafat’s death of his oppressive leadership & widespread corruption also begged the question of “why have we been dealing with this man at all” He never provided any structure for his people but hate and never missed an opportunity to miss an opportunity.BeBe seized the opportunity to come to America and speak at churches in order to educate Americans on the history of violence perpetuated by radical Islam. In this way he endeared himself to the American people after 9.11 as a trustworthy, honest and sympathetic voice of support for America. He never tired in his cause, and remains consistent in working to defeat terrorism. His speech was made to appease his friend Hillary Clinton, now head of the state dept. because they have notoriosly followed their own agenda rather than the will of the American people & dropped the ball on defending the U.S. from 9.11, which they should have and would have seen coming if they had been as diligently opposed to terrorism as Israel has been for the last 50 years.
September 22nd, 2009 at 8:33 pm
Its funny but everywhere the Jews reside in Western nations they seem to have dominance and influence before it blows in their face and America is just the latest addition of that trend. There never was anything as Jewish influence in the Arab history regarding Jews but many such situations in Western nations.
Its also pretty clear that Obama’s strong stance against israel earlier played a role but as soon as he wavered the polls went up for Israel meaning Americans generally get their information about the world from US politicians and US news media, all dominated by Jewish Americans who fear any criticism of Israel will wane Israel supprot in America. And they are right.
Its kind of like a wahhabi in Saudi Arabia, well, what do you expect if the wahhabis there control the media and mosque?
So what will happen if Hitler comes to America? Thats why pluralism is the best protection for societies but its not there in US media regarding Arabs or Muslims. They practically do not exist.