What did you feel when you watched Netanyahu speak at Congress?
Pride 46% Waste 5% Neither 20% Didn't watch 22%

Are you satisfied with Netanyahu's performance?
Yes 51% No 36%

Can Netanyahu's visit to the USA be termed a success?
Success 47% Failure 10% Neither 27%

Did Israel-USA relations improve in the wake of Netanyahu's address?
Improved 27% Hurt 13% Unchanged 48%

How does Obama relate to Israel?
Friendly 24% Unfriendly 22% To the point 43%

How does Obama relate to Netanyahu
Friendly 18% Unfriendly 28% To the point 42%

Haaretz poll: Netanyahu's popularity soaring following Washington trip

Despite tensions in Washington during PM's visit, Israelis generally don't
believe Obama is hostile to Israel or that U.S.-Israel relations have been
harmed, indicating that the public seems to be turning a deaf ear to
analysts who criticized Netanyahu's address to Congress.
By Yossi Verter Haaretz Published 02:51 26.05.11
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/haaretz-poll-netanyahu-s-popularity-soaring-following-washington-trip-1.364068

It's doubtful that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his wildest, most
optimistic dreams, would have dared to imagine when he set off for the
United States last week that Israelis would respond to his six-day trip so
enthusiastically: According to a new Haaretz poll, they are giving the visit
high marks, considering it an overwhelming success.

The poll, conducted by the Dialog organization, under the supervision of
Prof. Camil Fuchs of the Tel Aviv University Statistics Department, showed
that 47 percent of the Israeli public believes the U.S. trip was a success,
while only 10 percent viewed it as a failure.

Nearly half of the public felt "pride" at seeing Netanyahu address the joint
session of Congress on Tuesday, while only 5 percent deemed it a "missed
opportunity." The rest expressed no opinion, while 20 percent of those
questioned said they hadn't watched the speech.

Israelis also don't believe that U.S.-Israel relations have been harmed by
the visit despite its attendant problems, tensions and disputes.

Some 27 percent of those polled said they believe relations between the two
countries will actually improve as a result of the visit, while only 13
percent thought relations would deteriorate. Nearly half of those questioned
don't think there will be any change.

From the poll, it emerged that Netanyahu's trip not only put a brake on the
drop in his popularity ratings, but actually reversed the trend.

While in a Haaretz poll five weeks ago Netanyahu seemed to be in hot water
with the public, with 38 percent expressing satisfaction with his
performance and 53 percent disappointed with it, in yesterday's poll the
results were essentially reversed: 51 percent were satisfied, while 36
percent were not.

It's doubtful that U.S. President Barack Obama enjoyed such a spike in his
popularity after the assassination of Osama bin Laden.

The public thus seems to be turning a deaf ear to the many political and
diplomatic analysts who criticized the prime minister's address to Congress
and who said it proved that Netanyahu was not capable of pulling the
negotiations with the Palestinians out of the dangerous mire they are in.

The public also seems to have dismissed the learned warnings that Netanyahu
had generated an unnecessary confrontation with Obama, for which Israel is
liable to pay a high price down the line. Apparently average Israelis - from
the right, the center, and even from some parts of the left - are welcoming
Netanyahu back to Israel with open arms.

Despite all the tension in Washington this past week, Israelis generally
don't believe that Obama is hostile to Israel.

Asked their opinion of Obama, who tussled with Netanyahu late last week and
also stung him a bit during his speech to the AIPAC annual conference on
Sunday, 43 percent of those polled described him as "businesslike," while a
quarter described him as friendly and only 20 percent saw him as hostile.

Most of the respondents, however, distinguished between Obama's relations
with Israel and his personal relationship with Netanyahu, recognizing that
there is a lack of chemistry between the two, though they did not seem too
concerned by this.

It would be worthwhile for Netanyahu to savor this week and enjoy his
weekend. These numbers are exceptional, and it's unlikely they will hold up
over time.

The Middle East, to which he returned yesterday, doesn't give its leaders
too many reasons to celebrate.