Obama popularity in Israel surges after U.N. speech: poll

[oberliner]

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama's popularity has risen sharply in Israel after he spoke out forcibly against a Palestinian statehood bid at the United Nations last week, according to a poll published by the Jerusalem Post on Wednesday.

The poll found 54 percent of Jewish Israelis thought Obama's policy was favorable to Israel, while 19 percent said it was pro-Palestinian. A survey in May showed 12 percent thought U.S. policy was pro-Israel and 40 percent saw it as pro-Palestinian.

The surge in popularity followed a September 21 speech by Obama at the United Nations in which he rejected a Palestinian quest for statehood recognition and detailed the persecution of the Jewish people through history.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/28/us-israel-usa-obama-idUSTRE78R11Z20110928?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

[vminfla]

1. Taking a strong stance against terrorism is admirable in all demographics

Obama's reasoned approach and his effectiveness in dealing with terrorists like Bin Laden and al-Awlaki shows that he can be a powerful leader. Now, he needs to translate his success abroad into domestic policy and the economy.

[Jefferson23]

2. In all demographics? This poll is about Israel. n/t

[azurnoir]

4. the poll was of Jewish Israel's and neither Bin Laden and al-Awlaki

were ever much of a threat against them, however it is more likely Obama's stance against the much more dangerous threat to Jewish Israeli's (economic and housing) security Abbas and Fayyad that has Jewish Israeli's so enamored of Obama

[Crunchy Frog]

3. Maybe he could run for Prime Minister of Israel.

[Violet_Crumble]

5. It's a JPost poll. Was it one question or several?

If the question was whether or not people thought his speech was favourable to Israel, then concluding that equates to an increase in Obama's popularity would be an assumption that would be wrong. For example, I'd say that his speech was extremely favourable to Israel, but totally disapprove of his handling of the statehood bid, which has shown a complete lack of concern for the plight of the Palestinian people...

on edit: This bit of the article seems a bit wrong to me:

'Recent polls in the U.S. media have said his popularity amongst U.S. Jewish voters -- traditionally loyal to the Democratic Party -- has slipped and the Republican party has been swift to brand Obama as anti-Israeli.

Obama won the support of nearly 80 percent of Jewish voters in 2008, and a fall in this support in 2012 could jeopardize his re-election drive in battleground states like Florida and Pennsylvania, where Jewish voters are an important swing bloc.'

That seems to be saying that people vote based on their views on Israel and nothing else. That's not the impression I've gotten from all I've read on voting patterns in the US...

[bemildred]

6. This poll suggests that Israelis are easily herded around like sheep.

Pro-Israeli goes from 12 --> 54% between May and August.
Pro-Palestinian goes from 40 --> 19% between May and August.
With no apparent change in policy to explain it.
Of course, it's a poll, so it's bullshit, but still.