Most Israelis Trust Obama, Most PA Arabs Distrust Him

Israelis by a 4-to-1 margin are more confident than Palestinians in how President Barack Obama a handles his foreign policy, according to a Pew Research Center poll released Thursday.

The survey revealed that 61 percent of Israelis "express confidence in the American president to do the right thing regarding world affairs," as opposed to 15 percent of Palestinian Authority Arabs.

Obama's numbers among Israelis are a 12 point increase over when the same question was asked in 2011, reflecting the consensus after the president’s visit to Israel in March. His speeches were viewed in  Jerusalem and Ramallah won broad support from Israelis and anger from the Palestinian Authority.

The president’s emphasis on Israel's security needs and the Jewish connection to the region stood in stark opposition to PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ continued refusal to recognize Israel as a Jewish state.

Asked to assess whether Obama should increase or decrease his role in peacemaking, or keep it at current levels, 49 percent of Israeli respondents wanted to see greater involvement, 29 percent the same level and 15 percent less involvement.

Among Palestinians, the numbers were 41 percent wanting greater involvement, 19 percent wanting the same and 26 percent wanting less.