Haaretz is reporting on a new poll conducted by the Israel Project. Among the findings:
One of the questions that the poll presented was "Does the U.S. need to support Israel?" In August of 2009, 63% of Americans polled said that the U.S. does need to support Israel. In June of this year, 58% of respondents shared the same view; by July only 51% of respondents said the U.S. needed to support Israel.
Another question posed by the pole was "Is the Israeli government committed to peace with the Palestinians?" In December of 2007, 66% of respondents said that the government, then led by Ehud Olmert, was committed to peace with the Palestinians. In June of 2009, a month after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the White House, only 46% of Americans said they believed the Netanyahu government was committed to peace.
Greenburg has analyzed the poll results and says that the section of the American public where Israel is most rapidly losing support is among Liberal Americans who align themselves with the Democratic Party.
The article says the results were shared with "senior Israeli officials, including President Shimon Peres, Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor, as well as officials from the Prime Minister’s office." Would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in that room.
The Hebrew version of the article also includes poll numbers from Europe:
Germany (lowest positive polling since 2008)
· 19% feel “warmth” towards Israel; 50% feel “cold” towards Israel
· 26% feel “warmth” towards Palestinians; 39% feel “cold” towards Palestinians
France (no change in three years)
· 24% feel “warmth” towards Israel; 31% feel “cold” towards Israel
Sweden
· 20% feel “warmth” towards Israel; 49% feel “cold” towards Israel
