Barack Obama and Benjamin Netanyahu 's relationship may be shaky, the peace process is deadlocked – but Americans still have our backs. The latest Gallup Poll reveals that the majority of Americans, about 63%, continued to rate Israel favorably in 2011.
Nearly 17% of Americans favor the Palestinians and 20% are impartial – supporting both sides equally or indifferently.
Americans have not been affected by European and global de-legitimization efforts, not even by the apartheid week organized by Israel's adversaries in campuses around the world.
According to the poll, the rate of support for Israel stands at 63%. The all time record was 64% following the First Gulf War in 1991. The lowest ever support rate was recorded in 1998 when only 37% expressed a favorable opinion of Israel.
Israel's popularity has been on the rise in the US since the September 11 attacks in 2001, when Israel received a 51% support rate.
The 9/11 attacks saw the Palestinians' lowest popularity rate, with only 7% approval from Americans. Their highest point was three years ago, when 20% rated them favorably.
During the 1990s peace talks mediated by former US President Bill Clinton, the majority of Americans remained impartial. In 1998, about 54% of Americans were impartial, with 38% sympathetic towards Israel and only 8% favoring the Palestinians.
Republicans continue to be Israel's biggest supporters in the past decade, ever since the World Trade Center disaster.
Eighty percent of Republicans were favorable towards Israel compared with 57% of Democrats and independents. According to ideological division, Israel receives about 74% of the conservative support whereas the liberals are 49% favorable towards Israel.
On the eve of the 9/11 attacks, 42% of US independent groups rated Israel favorably, and by 2011 have grown to nearly 60%. The poll also shows that adults ages 55 or older (67%) are more favorable towards Israel than 35 to 54 years-old (63%) or 18 to 34 years-old (58%).
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