AMERICANS KNOW FRIEND FROM FOE

The Obama administrations efforts (including giving a freedom medal to Antisemite Mary Robinson) not withstanding, an early August Rassmusson poll demonstrates yet again the wide support Israel enjoys in the US. Yoram Ettinger writes:

According to an August 10, 2009 poll, conducted by the "Rasmussen Reports," one of America's most experienced and reliable pollsters, 70% of American voters view Israel as an ally (66% in a June 2, 2009 Rasmussen poll) and merely 8% consider Israel an enemy. In contrast, only 39%, 23% and 17% believe Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iraq, respectively, are allies of the US. No more than 32% assume that Muslim countries are well-intent toward the US, a mere 21% assess that US ties with Muslim countries will be improved in 2010, while 25% assess that ties will deteriorate. Only 34% believe that the Palestinians will recognize Israel's right to exist, while 74% do not believe that a lasting-peace between Israel and the Palestinians is possible during the next ten years.

A March 3, 2009 Gallup poll ranks Israel as the fourth preferred ally of the US, following Britain, Canada and Japan and ahead of Germany. That is consistent with a March 3, 2008 Gallup poll, ranking Israel fifth (71% support), following Germany, but ahead of India, France, South Korea, Mexico, etc. The Palestinian Authority (14%) joined North Korea (12%) and Iran (8%) as the least favored by the American electorate.

The aforementioned polls demonstrate that the pro-Arab, pro-Muslim pronouncements by President Obama and his top advisors, and the attempts to denounce Israel as an obstacle to peace, have not eroded the inherent support for Israel and the latent opposition-suspicion-skepticism toward Muslims, including Palestinians.

Israel has been perceived, by the American public, as a role-model of counter-terrorism, helping to prevent a repeat of 9/11, while Muslims are perceived as a role-model of anti-US terrorism, threatening a repeat of 9/11. The American taxpayer blames Muslims for the burdensome security constraints at airports, which have taxed the time, pocket and blood pressure of Americans. The Muslim image has, also, been undermined by daily media reports, from Iraq and Afghanistan, of the killing of American soldiers by Muslim terrorists.

On the other hand, the daily US routine, since 9/11, has enhanced US empathy towards the daily Israeli routine – and with Israel's mode of combating terrorism – since the 1948 establishment of the Jewish State. While Muslims have been identified - since the establishment of the US and its war against North African Muslim terrorism - with threat, belligerence, injustice, deceit and treachery, Jews and Israel have been identified with compassion, justice, truth, faith, reliability and defiance of threat.