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Israelis can’t wait for Obama to be out of office: Poll

Sunday, 24 April 2016 11:09 PM [ Last Update: Sunday, 24 April 2016 11:56 PM ]

US President Barack Obama addresses the Righteous Among the Nations Award Ceremony at the Israeli Embassy January 27, 2016 in Washington, DC. (photos by AFP)

Israelis want US President Barack Obama out of the White House as soon as possible, a new poll suggests.

Fifty-one percent of Israelis think that any of the US presidential candidates will be better for Israel than Obama, who is set to leave office on January 20, 2017, according to the poll conducted by Israel’s Channel 1.

Twenty-six percent said a different president would not make a difference, while 15 percent were not sure if the elections would affect Israel.

A mere eight percent thought that the upcoming president would have an adverse impact on Israel.

Israeli support for Obama has been generally low throughout his presidential terms, according to the regime's media. A Jerusalem Post poll conducted in August 2009 showed that only four percent of Israelis thought his government was more pro-Israeli than pro-Palestinian.

*Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks while campaigning at the Hagerstown airport April 24, 2016 in Hagerstown, Maryland.*

Based on the new poll, whose results were published by the Israeli broadsheet newspaper Sunday, Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton is viewed by 68 percent of Israelis as a favorable candidate, while 14 percent viewed her as unfavorable.

Forty-three percent deemed billionaire Republican Donald Trump as a suitable president, as 37 percent sported a negative view against him.

Forty-two percent of those who took part in the poll said Clinton would be better for Israel, 34 percent thought Trump would be better suited, and 24 percent were either undecided or thought neither would be any good.

*US President Barack Obama (R) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu*

And 42 percent said that Trump would get along better with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 32 percent thought Clinton would have better relations with him while 26 percent were undecided or thought neither would manage to get along with Bibi.

Out of the 64 countries plus the Palestinian Authority (PA), which were included in a December WIN/Gallup poll, Obama’s popularity in Israel was ranked fifth lowest after Russia, the PA, Pakistan, and Armenia.

Ties between Obama and Bibi have been in tatters over a series of issues including the nuclear deal with Iran and the so-called peace process with Palestine.

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