Polls & Research

Americans Review Mid-East Leaders, Groups

- Many adults in the United States hold a favourable opinion of the current Israeli prime minister, according to a poll by Harris Interactive. Respondents give Ehud Olmert a mean rating of 49, the highest among eight leaders and entities surveyed.

King Abdullah II of Jordan is second with 44, followed by Iraqi president Jalal Talabani with 37, Lebanese prime minister Fuad Siniora with 31 and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas with 25. The lowest numbers are for the Palestinian Authority itself with 23, Hamas with 17 and Hezbollah with 14.

On Jul. 12, Hezbollah militants based in Lebanon killed eight Israeli soldiers and captured two more in a cross-border attack. The Israeli armed forces launched air strikes inside Lebanese territory to fight Hezbollah, targeting the country's infrastructure and its airport. Hezbollah retaliated by firing rockets into several Israeli towns. A ceasefire brokered by the United Nations (UN) came into effect on Aug. 14.

On Jul. 13, U.S. president George W. Bush discussed the situation in Lebanon, saying, "Israel has a right to defend herself. Every nation must defend herself against terrorist attacks and the killing of innocent life. It's a necessary part of the 21st century."

In September 2003, Bush referred to King Abdullah II as "a good friend (and) a reformer who's working to build a country that is tolerant and modern and prosperous. He cares deeply for the people of Jordan. He's a leader who takes risks for peace. He's a peaceful man."

Polling Data

We'd like to rate your feelings toward some organizations and people. We'd like you to rate your feelings toward each using a zero-to-one-hundred scale, where 100 means that you have a very warm, positive feeling toward that particular organization or person, and zero means that you have a very cold, negative feeling. A rating of 50 means that you do not feel particularly warm or cold. You can use any number from zero to 100; the higher the number, the more favourable your feelings are toward that organization or person.