Poll: Most Americans think Obama not doing enough to stop Iran

Zionist Organization of America poll of Americans shows majority support for Israel but opposition to president’s policies.

By LAHAV HARKOV
Most Americans think Obama not doing enough to stop Iran (photo credit: REUTERS)
Most Americans think Obama not doing enough to stop Iran
(photo credit: REUTERS)
The American public overwhelmingly supports Israel in most issues, but opposes US President Barack Obama’s positions on related matters, according to a poll commissioned by the Zionist Organization of America released Tuesday.
“President Obama and [US] Secretary of State [John] Kerry should heed these results,” ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said. “They should understand that the American people expect our government to support Israel; stop promoting a Palestinian state; stop condemning Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria and eastern Jerusalem as ‘illegitimate’; support Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital; stop funding the Palestinian Authority and impose stronger sanctions on Iran to persuade it to terminate its nuclear weapons program.”
According to the poll, only 31 percent of Americans believe Obama is a close and reliable friend of Israel.
About half (51%) of Americans believe Obama has not done all he can to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, as opposed to a mere 28% who believe he has. In addition, 59% of Americans advocate stronger sanctions on Iran to convince it to stop developing nuclear weapons, as opposed to 17% who believe the US should loosen sanctions to convince it to stop developing nuclear weapons.
As for the conflict with the Palestinians, 59% of Americans believe a Palestinian state would be hostile to Israel and support terrorism, according to the poll. By a ratio of over 3 to 1 (47% to 14%), Americans believe that Jews have the right to settle in the West Bank. An overwhelming majority (72%) oppose Obama’s plan to give the Palestinian Authority $440 million in assistance, while only 15% believe he should.
Over half (55%) of Americans believe Jerusalem should remain the undivided capital of Israel, and 63% believe that the PA should recognize Israel as the sovereign state of the Jewish people.
“Pro-Israel organizations, both Jewish and non-Jewish, should cite these results to promote stronger support for Israel,” Klein stated.
The ZOA poll was conducted by McLaughlin Associates. It surveyed 1,000 Americans. The respondents identified themselves as Protestants (46%), Catholics (30%), Jews (3.6%), African Americans (13%), Hispanics (12%), Asians (3%) and Whites (70%). Politically, 42% said they supported the Democratic Party while 41% were Republican supporters.
“The results of this latest, very detailed and highly representative survey of American opinion show gratifyingly high, indeed, overwhelming levels of support for positions Israel takes, as opposed to the position the Obama administration takes,” Klein said. “It also shows an understanding of the dangers Israel faces from a terror-sponsoring PA. Large majorities of Americans clearly understand that a Palestinian state, if established, will not live in peace with Israel and will simply be another Mideast terrorist state.”
According to Klein, the findings of the poll indicate that “only a small percentage [of Americans] believes in the racist, anti-Semitic Palestinian position that only Palestinians have the right to live there.”