When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives his speech to Congress Tuesday, it will be with a near-record level of support.
Forty-five percent of American adults view Netanyahu favorably, while 24 percent view him unfavorably, according to a new Gallup poll. The last time Americans viewed him in such a favorable light was when he was first prime minister, in 1998.
This is a noticeable change from 2012, when just 35 percent of Americas said they viewed him favorably.
While Netanyahu’s favorable ratings have consistently fluctuated, his unfavorable score usually remains stable, ranging from 20 to 28 percent. Now, a mere 24 percent view him unfavorably.
Republicans have the highest views of him; 60 percent have a favorable view of the prime minister, compared to 31 percent of Democrats. Importantly, the number of independents who view him in a positive light, 45 percent, is where he made his biggest gain of 13 percentage points since 2012. Among all political groups, he has seen a rise in support since 2012.
The telephone-based survey of 837 adults was conducted Feb. 8-10 with a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.
The Israeli prime minister is set to address a joint session of Congress Tuesday to discuss a nuclear Iran. It has caused a political riff among Republicans and Democrats, as the latter view the speech with some hesitation due to the nature of how the invitation to speak was extended.
