Only 1 in 3 Israelis thinks Obama is pro-Israel

Jerusalem, May 18 (ANI): Only 31 percent of Israelis consider US President Barack Obama's approach pro-Israel, a survey conducted ahead of the meeting between Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu revealed.

According to a Smith Research poll, 31 percent Israelis labeled Obama pro-Israel, while 14 percent said he was pro-Palestinian and 40 percent felt he was neutral. The remaining 15 percent didn't have any views on the issue.

The poll, conducted on 500 Israelis last week, has an error margin of 4.5 percent, The Jerusalem post reports.

Obama's numbers contrast sharply with those of his predecessor, George W. Bush, whose administration was considered pro-Israel by 88 percent of the respondents.

Obama's ratings may have gone down after condemnations of Israeli policies by US Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel and others.

Obama is expected to unveil his policies on the Arab-Israeli conflict in Cairo on June 4.

Currently, he is in a "policy review period" that he will conclude only after Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak visit the US by the end of the month.

Israelis, according to the poll, view governments of other European countries even less favourable than the US.

Among those nations, only the government of German Chancellor Angela Merkel was seen as being more pro-Israel (37 percent) than pro-Palestinian (21 percent).

The pro-Palestinian tilt was even more pronounced for British Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government (a 14 percentage point spread). (ANI)