POLL: Israelis 'Overwhelmingly' Favor Obama, Mixed On Netanyahu

[Joanne98]

(AP) JERUSALEM - A poll released Friday shows that Israelis overwhelmingly have a favorable impression of President Barack Obama, despite a grave diplomatic feud with the U.S. over east Jerusalem construction.

Between a total of three polls released Friday, Israelis sent mixed signals about their own leader. Thirty-six percent of those questioned for one poll thought Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was best suited to lead Israel, versus 26 percent for his closest challenger, opposition leader Tzipi Livni. But another poll showed Livni's Kadima Party would overtake Netanyahu's Likud by a wider margin if elections were held today.

All three polls showed a majority of Israelis supported continued construction in Jerusalem's disputed eastern sector, the issue at the heart of the U.S.-Israeli row. Support ranged from 48 percent in one poll to 70 percent in another.

Some Israelis have misgivings about Obama, who is cooler to Israel than his immediate predecessors and has made a big effort to reach out to the Muslim world.

But a Dialog survey of 499 people on Wednesday and Thursday showed that seven out of 10 Israelis share a favorable view. The poll had a margin of error of 4.3 percentage points.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/19/israelis-view-obama-favor_n_505579.html

[Walk away]

1. All of the Israelis I meet around here are birthers.

I know several who travel back and forth for business or family. They are always going on about the Israeli Secret Service having evidence that Obama is a Muslim who was born in Kenya and it being common knowledge in Israel.

I usually just look at them as if they are nuts.

[grassfed]

2. debunked crock

[oberliner]

3. Where was it debunked?

Do you have a link?