Poll: Netanyahu Approval Rating In U.S. Drops After Speech

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu received numerous standing ovations during his recent speech to Congress, but a public opinion sampling just released will give him nothing to cheer about.

The Gallup Poll found that Netanyahu’s favorability rating among Americans has dropped seven percentage points, from 45% in early February, before the speech, to 38% now.

The reaction splits along partisan lines. About 46% of Democrats view him unfavorably, and only 17% favorably. Before the speech, an equal number of Democrats — 32% — viewed him favorably, as unfavorably.

Gallup suggested that the sharp drop among Democrats as a result of their “likely taking their cues about the appropriateness of Netanyahu’s address and his message on Iran from President [Barack] Obama, who disagreed both with Netanyahu’s addressing Congress and his arguments against a nuclear agreement with Iran.”

But as in Congress, Republicans like him better. Gallup said that 62% have a positive view of the prime minister, as opposed to 60% last month, and only 16% view him unfavorably.

In the poll, conducted March 5-8 among 1,025 adults, another 33% said they did not have an opinion of Netanyahu. The poll had a ±4% margin of error.

This article appeared in print on page 6 of the March 13th, 2015 edition of Hamodia.