How Is Netanyahu's Approval Rating? Obama, Eat Your Heart Out

Obama, eat your heart out.
From Rasmussen Reports:


Netanyahu's numbers may not compare with Obama's in terms of personal ratings, and no one is making fancy graphics about how Netanyahu is doing--yet unlike Obama, a poll shows that Bibi's approval ratings are going up:

A public-opinion survey commissioned by Haaretz to gauge Netanyahu's popularity as he approaches 100 days shows favorable results, despite the criticism since April for his gauche handling of the national budget and the diplomatic crisis with the U.S.

His two key appointments, Avigdor Lieberman as foreign minister and Yuval Steinitz as finance minister, also drew fire.

The survey by Dialog, conducted Thursday under the auspices of Prof. Camil Fuchs of Tel Aviv University, found Netanyahu's approval ratings were 18 percent higher than Tzipi Livni's - a much larger margin than when they were competing for prime minister. Asked who was better suited to be prime minister, 52 percent said Netanyahu, while only 34 said Livni.

The respondents gave Netanyahu's cabinet a barely passing grade of 5.6 points out of 10. Forty percent said the cabinet was not leading Israel in the right direction, while 37 percent said it was.

Netanyahu's approval ratings may have jumped 5 points since the last Dialog survey, on June 15. In the most recent survey, 49 percent of the 500 respondents said they were satisfied with Netanyahu's performance. The survey results have a margin of error of 4.5 percent.

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman jumped 9 points since a May 14 survey, with a 40-percent satisfaction rate. Defense Minister Ehud Barak improved by only one point.

Read the whole thing.
IMRA has the actual numbers:

Grade from 1-10 for Netanyahu Government: 5.6

How does the Netanyahu Government perform as compared to the Olmert
Government before it?
Better 43% Worse 30% Don't know/refuse reply 27%

Is the Netanyahu Government leading Israel in the right direction?
Yes 37% No 40% Don't know/refuse reply 23%

Percent satisfied with performance of:
[results from 14 May poll in [brackets] for all but Netanyahu - Netanyahu previous poll 15 June]
PM Netanyahu 49%[44%]
FM Lieberman 40%[31%]
DM Barak 61%[60%]
Finance Minister Steinitz 29%[18%]
Education Minister Saar 43%[45%]
Interior Minister Yishai 43%

Who is most appropriate to serve as prime minister?
Netanyahu 52% Livni 34% Don't know/refuse reply 14%

Read the whole thing.

It is odd that Haaretz does not mention the results to the question about whether Netanyahu is leading Israel in the right direction. Even if statistically those who approve and disapprove are in a dead heat, the numbers put a damper on the positive implications of Bibi's other numbers--or, it could just mean that Israelis are not sure themselves about what to do.

Or maybe, like Obama, the people just like the leader more than they like what they are doing.

In any case, no one is talking any more about Obama bringing down Netanyahu's coalition.

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

Technorati Tag: Netanyahu and Obama.