(Rasmussenreports).Despite President Obama's meeting last week with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to affirm the importance of the U.S.–Israeli relationship, 31% of U.S. voters believe relations between the two countries will be worse a year from now.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 15% think America’s relationship with Israel will be better in 12 months time. Forty-four percent (44%) expect the relationship to be about the same.
Fifty-eight percent (58%) consider Israel an ally of the United States, down from a recent high of 70% in August of last year. Only five percent (5%) feel Israel is an enemy, while 33% place the Jewish state somewhere in between.
At the United Nations and in other international forums, the United States often finds itself as one of Israel’s few defenders, but just 24% say, generally speaking, America is too supportive of Israel. Thirty-three percent (33%) say the United States is not supportive enough, while 32% say neither is the case.
Thirty-six percent (36%) of male voters expect U.S.-Israeli relations to get worse over the next year, compared to 26% of female voters.
Fifty-one percent (51%) of Republicans say the relationship will be worse by then, but 50% of Democrats and 52% of voters not affiliated with either major party expect relations between the two to be about the same.
GOP voters feel more strongly than Democrats and unaffiliateds that Israel is an U.S. ally.