Poll shows Israelis still not convinced by Obama's outreach
Friday, July 16, 2010
By: ICEJ News

But Turkey angered over Netanyahu's warm welcome in Washington

US President Barack Obama’s recent charm offensive, including last week’s hosting of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House and an interview for Israel’s Channel 2 TV, have not improved the president’s image in Israel, where almost half of the people who responded to a new poll believe he is still more favorable to the Palestinians than to Israel.

When asked whether they saw Obama’s administration as more pro-Israel, more pro- Palestinian or neutral, just 10 percent of Israeli Jews said he leans more pro-Israel, 46% said more pro-Palestinian, 34% said neutral, with 10% expressing no opinion, according to a Smith Research poll sponsored by The Jerusalem Post.

When the same question was asked in a poll in March, only 9% if Israelis considered Obama pro-Israel, 48% said the current White House was pro-Palestinian, and 30% said it was neutral. In a poll conducted in June 2009, some 31% had considered the Obama presidency pro-Israel and 14% pro-Palestinian.

“Some of it may just be the fact that my middle name is ‘Hussein,’ and that creates suspicion,” Obama said during his Channel 2 interview. “Some of it may have to do with the fact that I have actively reached out to the Muslim community, and I think that sometimes, particularly in the Middle East, there’s the feeling of the friend of my enemy must be my enemy. And the truth of the matter is, is that my outreach to the Muslim community is designed precisely to reduce the antagonism and the dangers posed by a hostile Muslim world to Israel and to the West.”

Netanyahu has also tried to sway Israelis favorably on Obama. In an interview with CBS news anchor Katie Couric last Sunday, when asked why Israelis dislike Obama so much, he responded, “Maybe they’re not aware also of the ongoing cooperation between Israel and the United States. In the fields of security, intelligence... we have a common goal to achieve a secure peace.”

While Israelis have yet to be convinced, the warm reception which Obama gave Netanyahu may have fueled the anger of Turkish leaders at both leaders. Reports in the Turkish media have been highlighting the growing rift between Washington and Ankara, and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has especially lashed out at the US for not taking more action in the case of Furkan Dogan, a dual US/Turkish citizen who was killed on board the Mavi Marmara as it attempted to run the IDF blockade off the Gaza coast on May 31.

“It is significant that the US administration has not taken action regarding Furkan Dogan. We expect them to follow this case,” Erdogan said. “Are you not defending Furkan’s rights because he was Turkish?”

“The United States, and I personally, find it deeply disappointing and worrying,” responded US Ambassador to Turkey James Jeffrey.

The US State Department and numerous American lawmakers have called upon Erdogan to ease up on Israel and be less cooperative with Iran on its renegade nuclear program. A separate effort which is also angering Turkish leaders is the effort to have the State Department brand the IHH organization which sponsored the Gaza flotilla a terror supporting entity.

A report today in The New York Times elaborates on the extensive links between Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party and IHH. Many of the 21 people listed on the charity's board have or had close links to the AKP, reflecting the fact that the party and charity share a common agenda.