Americans Back Israel

We love you; why can’t you love us (or, anyway, why can’t you love our president)?

That’s one message, anyway, to take from some polls released this week. Gallup sees record-high support: 63 percent are more sympathetic to Israel than to the Palestinian Authority. According to a TIPP poll, 56 percent of Americans (and 43 percent of Democrats; and 74 percent of Republicans) would back an Israeli military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, versus 30 percent who would oppose one. Another poll, this by Pew, found 66 percent for, 24 percent against.

And yet, Israelis still are not big fans of President Obama. A new poll found that nearly half of Jewish Israelis think he is pro-Palestinian, while only 10 percent said he favors Israel. And this poll came after last week’s friendly Oval Office photo-op and Obama’s interview on Israel’s Channel 2.

Since March, which represents the low point of relations between the two countries’ governments, the number of Israelis who think the Obama administration is pro-Israel has improved by … one percent.

So again: We love you; maybe the president we elected isn’t entirely against you?

Poll: Most Americans Would Back Israel Attack on Iran [Haaretz]
46% Say Obama Is Pro-Palestinian [JPost http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=181594]
Earlier: Obama and Bibi Tag-Team for Friendship