JERUSALEM (JTA) — While America’s global image has “plummeted” during Donald Trump’s presidency, Israelis give high marks to his administration and the country as a whole, according to the Pew Research Center.
Israelis were often three times more likely to give Trump a positive rating than those surveyed in other allied countries, including Mexico, Germany, Canada and France, according to a Pew poll released Monday.
Eight out of 10 Israelis express a favorable opinion of the United States and more than half believe that America is doing more to address global problems than a few years ago.
“Israel also tops the list in terms of the share of the public (79 percent) saying that relations with the U.S. have improved in the past year,” Pew reported, citing the longtime tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former President Barack Obama.
Under Trump, the United States moved its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv, withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal that Netanyahu reviled and recently cut off nearly all aid to the Palestinians.
In Israel, Trump’s “positive rating jumped to 69 percent, up from 56 percent in 2017” on the heels of his decision to move the U.S. Embassy, according to the report.
By contrast, other allies have complained that Trump, who has promoted an “America First” agenda that disdains international institutions and free trade, “doesn’t take into account the interests of countries like theirs when making foreign policy decisions.” Favorable views of the U.S. have fallen by 34 points in Mexico, 27 points in Germany, 26 points in Canada and 25 points in France.
America’s global image has “plummeted … amid widespread opposition to his administration’s policies and a widely shared lack of confidence in his leadership,” according to Pew.
While 93 percent of Spaniards said they had no confidence in Trump, followed by 91 percent of Mexicans and 90 percent of Frenchmen, only 31 percent of Israelis expressed this sentiment.
While Trump has yet to unveil his administration’s much-touted peace plan, he has said that Israel will have to pay a “high price” in peace negotiations with the Palestinians over the embassy move.
