Ahead of his address to Congress this week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s favorability rating has ticked up among Americans.
Forty-five percent of Americans view him favorably, up from 35 percent in 2012, and 24 percent view him unfavorably, according to Gallup.
Sixty percent of Republicans view Mr. Netanyahu positively and 18 percent view him negatively, compared to an even 31 percent favorable and 31 percent unfavorable standing among Democrats. Independents’ views of the prime minister track with that of the general population; 45 percent view him favorably and 23 percent view him unfavorably.
Mr. Netanyahu’s trip is straining already-tense relations between the White House and Republicans on Capitol Hill, with some Democrats planning a boycott of his address.
The White House has criticized House Speaker John A. Boehner for extending the invitation, saying he broke protocol, while Mr. Boehner says it’s important to hear what Mr. Netanyahu has to say about the threats posed by Iran.
“Despite Americans’ support for Israel and a long history of close ties between the two countries, Netanyahu has found himself in a major political controversy by coming to Washington to address Congress against the wishes of the White House,” Gallup’s Andrew Dugan wrote. “But the political tension felt in the nation’s capital has not hurt Netanyahu’s image with the American public at large.”
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The survey of 837 adults was conducted Feb. 8-11 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent points.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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