Israel Still Popular in America; Obama Still Seen as Pro-Israel by People Who Like Israel

Greg Sargent highlights some important findings in a Pew poll on American attitudes toward Israel -- and toward President Obama's approach to the Middle East:

Regarding the Israeli-Palestinian dispute, far more Americans continue to say they sympathize with Israel rather than the Palestinians (by 48% to 11%). These opinions are little changed from recent years.

A plurality (50%) says Barack Obama is striking the right balance in the Middle East situation, while 21% say he favors the Palestinians too much. There has also been no change in these views over the past year; in April 2010, 47% said Obama struck the right balance and 21% said he favored the Palestinians too much.

In re: the finding that more Americans sympathize with Israel than with the Palestinians, well, this is more fodder for my argument with Andrew. On the more specific, Obama-related point, it seems as the Republican campaign to paint the president as anti-Israel isn't working so well, especially when you consider that "that a plurality of those who are more sympathetic with Israel also say Obama has the balance right." Sargent goes on to write, "Of those who are more sympathetic to Israel, 49 percent say he strikes the right balance, versus only 38 percent who say he favors the Palestinians too much."