Post poll: President’s popularity plummeting among Israeli Jews

Only 56% of Jewish Israelis said they considered the Trump administration more pro-Israel than pro-Palestinian, down from 79% on January 11.

By GIL HOFFMAN
Updated: MAY 19, 2017 00:06
US President Donald Trump delivers an statement about missile strikes on a Syrian airbase, at his Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach, Florida, US, April 6, 2017. (photo credit: REUTERS)
US President Donald Trump delivers an statement about missile strikes on a Syrian airbase, at his Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach, Florida, US, April 6, 2017.
(photo credit: REUTERS)
The percentage of Jewish Israelis who consider US President Donald Trump more pro-Israel than pro-Palestinian has taken a nosedive since his inauguration, according to a Smith Research poll published on Thursday and taken for The Jerusalem Post.
The poll of 500 Israelis representing a statistical sample of the adult Jewish population found that, just days ahead of Trump’s arrival in the country, he will need to take steps to persuade Israelis that he is on their side.
Only 56% of Jewish Israelis said they considered the Trump administration more pro-Israel than pro-Palestinian, down from 79% on January 11.
But the 23% of Israelis who no longer believe the administration is more pro-Israel did not shift to believing it is more pro-Palestinian. There was only a one percentage point increase in people who consider the administration to be more pro-Palestinian, rising from 3% to 4%.
Rather, there was an increase in those deeming the administration neutral on the issue or saying that they did not know what the president’s stance was. The percentage who called Trump neutral about doubled from 10% to 21%, while those saying they did not know climbed from 8% to 19%.
When divided among supporters of different parties, Likud supporters were more likely to deem Trump pro-Israel. The party whose supporters are least likely to say that the administration leans toward Israel is Yesh Atid.
Another poll will be taken following the president’s visit in order to determine its success.
Smith Research asked the same question to Israelis before and after the March 2013 visit of then-president Barack Obama. The polls found that the percentage calling his administration more pro-Israel rose only one point despite a “charm offensive” in which he made an effort to reach out to Israelis.
The poll had a margin of error of plus/minus 4.5%.