ISRAELIS DO NOT TRUST OBAMA

SURVEY: ISRAELIS LIKE AMERICA, DISTRUST OBAMA
by Malkah Fleisher

IsraelNationalNews.com
May 4, 2009

A recent survey conducted by Bar-Ilan University's BESA Center in conjunction with the Anti-Defamation League reveals Israelis' opinion about the United States relationship to the Jewish State.

The Israeli respondents, 57 percent of whom identified as secular, reported positive feelings toward America (72%), with a preponderance asserting that the United States is a loyal ally of Israel (68%).

The overwhelming majority of those polled trust that the United States would come to the aid of Israel in the event of an existential emergency (76%), with nearly all respondents believing close relations with America is vital to Israel's security (91%).

However, Israeli confidence in the U.S president plummeted from surveys taken in 2007. While most Israelis considered President George W. Bush's attitude toward Israel to be friendly (73%), President Barack Hussein Obama is considered friendly by only about a third of Israelis (38%).

The younger generation of Israelis is more skeptical about Obama than the older generation, with 41 percent of respondents aged 42 and over believing Obama is capable of making the right decisions regarding the Israeli-PA conflict, as opposed to only 32 percent of respondents under the age of 41.

In regard to whether Obama would maintain friendly relations with Israel, 41 percent of older respondents agreed he would, with only 34 percent of the younger respondents also agreeing.

A whopping 80 percent of opinion holders said that Obama's plan to bring about reconciliation with the Arab world in order to improve the U.S.'s position and reputation would come at Israel's expense.

Younger respondents again displayed conservative sentiments in regard to US-Iran negotiations, with 60 percent opposing the move, as opposed to 42 percent of older respondents.

Israeli opinion holders also overwhelmingly support military action to destroy Iranian nuclear facilities in the event of the failure of economic and diplomatic efforts (81%), even if Obama's administration opposed the action (83%).

A closer look at the different age groups shows that 60% of the younger respondents oppose U.S.-Iran negotiations, compared to only 42% of the older respondents.

The telephone poll, carried out by Maagar Mochot, was conducted in the last week of April, with a margin of error of 4.5 percent.

A recent US Gallup poll showed that American Jews overwhelmingly support President Obama, after 100 days of his presidency. An even higher percentage of American Muslims support the new president as well.
.