Obama Boosts U.S. Image Throughout World, Except In Israel

A major new survey by the Pew Research Center finds that there have been moderate signs of improvement in the attitudes of predominantly Muslim countries toward the United States since the election of President Barack Obama.

Still, for the most part, the study's authors conclude that, "The opinions among Muslims in the Middle East remain largely unfavorable."

Among the 25 countries, in which public opinions were surveyed, only one exhibited a less favorable opinion of the United States: Israel.

Conducted in Argentina, Brazil, Britain, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, the Palestinian Territories, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Spain, South Korea, Turkey and the United States, the survey has a whole host of interesting data points.

The headlines include:

The United States' approval ratings in Western Europe have risen to pre-Bush levels.

In Western countries -- England, France, Germany and Spain -- it is a nearly universally held belief that President Obama will "do the right thing in world affairs." Whereas only 16 percent, 13 percent, 14 percent and 8 percent of those respective countries' populations said the same thing about former President George W. Bush in 2008.

The favorability ratings of the United States, the study concludes, are "driven much more by personal confidence in Obama than by his specific policies."

The United States' image in Israel took a hit following President Obama's foreign policy address in Cairo, according to the survey. America's 76 percent favorability rating in the Jewish state fell to 63 percent following the president's speech, when he called for dual sacrifice and responsibility in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Moreover, while 60 percent of Israelis said they were confident in Obama's leadership before the Cairo speech, just 49 percent were confident after the address.

On the flipside, the number of Palestinians who said that Obama would consider their interests when making policy rose from 27 percent before the speech to 39 percent after.

Finally, in what is at once a remarkable and depressing statistic, for the first time in the Pew survey, an American president is more popular than Osama bin Laden in most Muslim nations. In Jordan, for example, 30 percent of the populace says they are confident in Obama, 28 percent say they are confident in bin Laden. Just 7 percent of Jordanians said they were confident in Bush in 2008.

That said, the world's-most-wanted terrorist does enjoy higher confidence ratings than Obama in Pakistan (18 percent to 13 percent) and the Palestinian territories (52 percent to 22 percent).

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Comments

[SharpDressedMan]

We all know stories about a big brother protecting his little brother. That's fine when the little brother is at a disadvantage. Eventually the little brother grows up and can't always rely on his big brother. The little brother has to learn to make peace or fight for himself. Being at peace is far less tumultuous and safer.

[AtheistUS]

This is exactly what is often told about Israel and Palestine.

[PresidentRobertBooth]

It's amazing how reasonable diplomacy works.

[Justtellthetruth]

If your trying to get your kids to stop doing something damaging or self destructive that they happen to also enjoy, they might not like you while your laying down the law, but they will appreciate it once they have grown up.

The settlements and occuaption are a major inspiration of terror, serve no positive purpose, and are morally indefensible. They need to be ended and evacuated completely, and the IDF replaced with UN peace keepers ASAP. GO OBAMA.

[BubbaC33]

Your analysis is wrong, as usual. There was more terrorism against Israel prior to the war in 1967 than there is today.

[freeda7]

Because Israel is being run and taken over by a right wing natiolist party.

[Collielady]

I don't care at all about Israel. It costs us too much.

[dtrobert]

One reason most people won't dare mention for Israelis' dim view of Obama: racism is rampant in Israel. It's an all too inconvenient truth. Let's not forget that it wasn't that long ago that the falasha were being refused the right of return because it was simply inconceivable that a black person could be Jewish.

I have often heard from very liberal Israeli Jews the epithet "Dog" used to refer to Arabs. Not simply Hamas or Hezbollah (which might be understandable), but *all* Arabs.

So are you surprised that Israeli's would not be very receptive to Obama? I'm not.

[fbr79]

The Ethiopian Jews were brought to Israel by the Israeli government starting in the early 70s and have not stopped since. What was the status of race relations in the US in the early 70s?

[JeZeus]

If Obama's pissing off Israel, then he must be doing something right.

[fbr79]

Yeah, pissing off Israel and making all Muslim theocracies and third world banana republics happy. Sounds about right for the far Left.

[orianna]

It's timely to let Israel take care of itself... we are done babysitting and need to look to America's best interests.

[Horst]

Obama's approval rating in Turkey is roughly 15%.....

[greatscot]

So 63% of Israelis still have a favorable view of the United States after Obama's speech? That tells me 63% of Israelis are willing to compromise on treatment of the occupied territories. Israel is a weird little place where extremists (always right-wing) parties) run in every election and, beacuse the middle is split, the right-wingers get to help form a coalition government. They always hold out for the foreign or defence ministries, allowing their leader (such as Avigdor Lieberman, formerly a Soviet Moldovan Citizen) to control important policies. Note that a 63% majority is never enough to overcome a 5% minority! It's moronic, and Israel is paying the price. It's noteworthy too that the 5% israeli lunatic fringe is wholeheartedly supported by our Congress, who are too stupid to realize they'd be better off helping the 63%!

[AtheistUS]

Good comment!

[JoeSchmuk]

Correct me if I am wrong. Please. This is not an anti Semite rant. This is the Israeli/Palestinian conflict as far as I have been able to understand it. If I am anywhere factually incorrect, l apologize and seek intelligent and thoughtful enlightenment.

Some Jewish people wanted a homeland. To further this interest, they emigrated to and took over post British mandate Palestine, declaring themselves the nation of residence; have and/or are still in the process of killing, exiling or containing the extant inhabitants (Palestinians), and are piece by piece doing what seems to be their level best to 'settle,' conquer or gain control over all of biblical Palestine by eliminating anybody but Jews. Last stop: the dome of the rock.

Obama is the first US president in a long while to at least give serious lip service to (what he is actually doing with regard to Netanyahu's refusal to stop the settlements is not yet evident) the halting of this process, and to the recognition that there is a nation of people called Palestinians who's existence and needs must be recognized. That he is the president of the country that is funding the Israeli dream (reportedly 2-3 billion a year) has to be worth something one would think.

No wonder his popularity in Israel may be waning.

FYI - "Israel won the wars, lost the peace" - By Mark LeVine is an excellent article, well worth the read.

http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/60yearsofdivision/2008/05/200861505353378132.html

[courtb]

I believe I shall correct your whole post, if I may.

A few thousand years ago, many (but not all) Jews were forcibly removed from their homeland. Despite the enlightenment and modernization of Europe, antisemitism flourished and motivated many Jews to join the Zionist movement-the quest for a Jewish homeland. In the late 19th century, European Jews slowly began to move to Palestine and legally bought land from Arabs. Completely separate from the Zionist movement, Arab Jews from north Africa and other countries in the Middle East started to emigrate as well.

Many Arabs in the region thought this was a good thing as the Jews worked hard to turn arid desert into something worthwhile. But yet many others were threatened by the Jewish emigration. It was made illegal to sell land to the Jews. Arabs rioted in villages and Arab and Jewish skirmishes left many dead. The British (who "owned" the land) were in a bind: on one hand, they had promised to create a Jewish nation on the land. On the other hand, they needed cheap oil and didn't want to upset the Arabs. So they restricted Jewish travel to Palestine while allowing free movement for Arabs. Following the Holocaust, the world decided to make good on the promise of the League of Nations, as the necessity for a Jewish nation was evident. The UN partitioned the land, giving 43% to Arabs and 56% to the Jews. Many wars ensued. Boundaries changed. Thousands died.

No more room.

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

One thing you "forgot" to mention is that during this time, there was, (and still is) a huge "water" grab by the Israelis. There was a story on NPR just the other day about the lengths that Israel is going to to prevent Palis. from accessing water, even though much of it runs underground across land legally owned by Arabs. It is "illegal" for them to tap their own underground sources. If fact, most of the initial skirmishes between the two cultures were over water. How do you think the Jews were able to "turn arid desert into something worthwhile". Please don't repeat American (i.e. Aipac) talking points as fact.

[BackToFight]

1. Up to 1948, only 5.8% of Palestine was owned by Jews, i.e. purchased.
2. The Jews didn't convert the desert into something worthwhile. The Arab and Jewish residents of Palestine have farmed and lived on the land for centuries before European Zionism took effect. That is a common misconception that is reiterated for the purpose of justifying European colonialism, which is what Zionism is. The Arab residents didn't mind the Jews they lived with because they were not bigoted towards Jewish people.
3. conflicts with the influx of Jewish immigrants occurred when it became evident on the 1930's exactly what the purpose of Zionism truly was: to displace the Arab Christian and Muslims and repopulate the area with Jews. To fight off the invasion and attempts at ethnic cleansing the Palestinians became more hostile towards the idea of Jewish immigration.
4. The British "Owned" the land the same way they "owned" Hong Kong, Colonial US, and India. They didn't own squat. They took control of something that was not theirs, the same as it did not belong to the Ottoman Turks they took it from. Historically, Palestinians fought wars of independence from the Ottomans, but failed.

[BackToFight]

5. Before the mass flow of immigrants, Palestinian Christians and Muslims made up about 90% of the population. The immigration of European Jews into the region changed the percentages to approximately 66% Palestinian Christians and Muslims and 33% Jews at around 1947. The UN offered 56% percent of Palestinian land to the minority 33% Jewish population, which at that time legally owned 5.8% of Palestine.

Facts are important when discussing history.

[Zeta]

World support vs. Israel support. Seems like a perfect inverse relationship. I would say world support is far more important.

[Tyrione]

Change I can believe in. To get Israel out of our government's ear means a future I respect and one that demands the Middle East fix their crap and stop stalling.

[gbrooks]

Don't start thinking that AIPAC is going away that easily.

[BubbaC33]

Israel wants peace, but it seems we cannot find a willing partner on the Arab side to negotiate in good faith.

[Sardonica]

Tough break for people in this country who aren't happy unless American flags are being set on fire in distant, foreign lands.

[email]

Except in Israel and India and other democratic countries. However, he is doing well in Somalia, Middle East, Pakistan and China.

[fbr79]

Haha, yes! Third world countries and failed states are in love with us now that Obama is bowing down to and appologizing to every single religious or political leader he can. How great.