GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
PRINCETON, NJ -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak announced his resignation on Sunday, prompting a special election. Former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been mentioned as Barak's opponent in that election, although technically Netanyahu cannot run for prime minister unless the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, passes new legislation to allow it.
Gallup polls from earlier this year suggest that Barak has lost popularity with the American public as he has become better known. The most recent evaluation of Barak among Americans, in October, found 30% of the public with a favorable opinion, but 28% with an unfavorable opinion. That compares to a 26% favorable, 12% unfavorable ratio in July 1999, when he was first included in Gallup polls. When Gallup last asked Americans about Benjamin Netanyahu, in May of 1999, 34% had a favorable opinion of him, 20% said unfavorable and 46% had no opinion or said they had never heard of him.
One other key figure in the Middle East, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, remains unpopular in the eyes of the American public. In the October survey, 64% say they have an unfavorable opinion of Arafat, and just 12% have a favorable opinion of him. In July of this year, 45% of Americans said they had an unfavorable opinion of Arafat.
Survey Methods
The results reported here are based on telephone interviews conducted October 25-28, 2000, and May 5-7, 1999 with 1,004 adults, and 1,025 adults aged 18 and over, respectively. For results based on these samples of national adults, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.
Next, we'd like to get your overall opinion of some people in the news. As I read each name, please say if you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of this person -- or if you have never heard of him or her. How about... [Random order]
Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Barak
|
|
|
Never |
No |
|
|
(NA) 2000 Oct 25-28 |
30% |
28 |
16 |
26 |
|
(NA) 2000 Jul 6-9 |
28% |
14 |
29 |
29 |
|
(NA) 1999 Jul 22-25 |
26% |
12 |
29 |
33 |
Palestinian Leader, Yasser Arafat
|
|
|
Never |
No |
|
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
|
(NA) 2000 Oct 25-28 |
12 |
64 |
6 |
18 |
|
(NA) 2000 Jul 6-9 |
27 |
45 |
8 |
20 |
|
(NA) 1999 May 7-9 |
26 |
44 |
6 |
24 |
|
(NA) 1998 Dec 28-29 |
35 |
45 |
5 |
15 |
|
(NA) 1998 Dec 4-6 |
24 |
47 |
9 |
20 |
|
(NA) 1994 Jan 6-8^ |
23 |
52 |
8 |
17 |
|
^ Asked as "P.L.O. Chairman" |
||||
Next, I'd like to get your overall opinion of some people in the news. As I read each name, please say if you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of this person -- or if you have never heard of him or her. First, ... How about...
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu
|
|
|
Never |
No |
|
|
(NA) 1999 May 7-9 |
34% |
20 |
19 |
27 |
|
(NA) 1998 Dec 28-29 |
46% |
20 |
15 |
19 |
|
(NA) 1998 Dec 4-6 |
35% |
22 |
19 |
24 |
|
(NA) 1997 Apr 18-20 |
23% |
28 |
23 |
26 |
NA-National Adults
