The Netanyahu visit, Israel, and Iran

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Most Americans aren’t familiar with Israeli politicians, although their support for Israel is strong. They aren’t familiar with House Speaker John Boehner’s invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to address Congress about his concerns about a nuclear agreement with Iran, but they have strong concerns about the Iranian nuclear negotiations and worry that President Obama hasn’t been tough enough in the negotiations.  

Knowledge of Netanyahu: Many Americans are not familiar with Benjamin Netanyahu. In questions in which he is not identified as the Prime Minister of Israel, a plurality of respondents say they are not sure or do not know who he is.




 

Support for Israel: In a February 2014 Gallup poll, 72% of Americans said they had a favorable overall opinion of Israel, the highest percentage to give that response since 1991. Most Americans consistently say that they consider Israel an “ally” or as “friendly, but not an ally” (Gallup/CNN/ORC/USA Today).


The Invitation: In a late January poll by The Economist/YouGov, a plurality of Americans (32%) said they had heard “nothing at all” about House Speaker John Boehner’s invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress in March, and another 25% said they had not heard much. When The Economist/YouGov asked if the invitation was a breach of protocol, 43% agreed, while 36% said that Congress can make its own decisions.







Iran’s Nuclear Program: Concerns have been raised that Netanyahu’s visit could affect international negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. Many polls have shown that Americans are worried about the dangers posed by a nuclear Iran. When asked about President Obama’s dealings with Iran, solid majorities of Republican, Democrat, and independent registered voters say that he has not been tough enough.