Israelis favor U.S.

The United States tops the list of Israelis’ favorite foreign countries, a poll found. According to a study commissioned by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Israel and released this week, 85 percent of Israelis say they like the United States, while 14 percent dislike it. Next on the list are Britain with 80 percent vs. 16 percent; Italy with 67 percent vs. 26 percent; and Germany with 67 percent vs. 28 percent. At the bottom of the list came France, with 35 percent of Israelis saying they like it and 61 percent saying they dislike it. French President Jacques Chirac also finished last on the list of favored foreign leaders. The poll was commissioned to gauge Israelis’ views toward the European Union.