Public support in Israel for U.S. President Donald Trump is among the highest in the world, according to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center between May and August of this year that surveyed attitudes by country on Trump's policies and performance on international issues.
Following the Trump's administration's controversial relocation of the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, popular Israeli support for the U.S. president jumped from 56% in 2017 to 69%.
Approximately 80% of Israelis polled expressed an overall favorable opinion of the U.S, and 52% of Israelis aid that the U.S. was doing more to address global issues than it was a few years ago. This is the largest percentage of any national population surveyed to say this.
When asked whether current U.S. policy took Israel's interests into account, 86% responded yes, up from 69% who said the same in 2013.
When it comes to changes in U.S.-Israeli relations, 79% of Israelis polled said this past year had been marked by improved bilateral ties.
Over two-thirds (65%) of Israelis believed that it would be best for the world if the U.S. were the leading national superpower, with 13% saying they thought China should assume that role.
Trump also came out well in the Philippines and South Korea, both of whose positive ratings for the U.S. leader were over 80%.
Not all countries whose citizens were polled by Pew researchers were equally as supportive of the U.S. and its leader. Only 26% of Russians currently hold a favorable view of the U.S., compared to 41% in 2017, and the percentage of Russian respondents who approve of Trump personally has plummeted to just 19%, from 53% in 2017.
Overall, most nations polled were disapproving of the U.S. and Trump, with a median of 70% expressing no confidence in the American administration.
