By Aluf Benn Haaretz Last update - 02:07 04/05/2009
www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1082790.html

A large majority of Israeli Jews support military action aimed at destroying
Iran's nuclear facilities, according to a survey sponsored by the
Anti-Defamation League.

According to the poll, co-sponsored by the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic
Studies at Bar-Ilan University, a large majority of those who support a move
by the army said they would maintain their support even if the Obama
administration opposed it.

An overwhelming majority also said they believed close relations with the
United States were essential for ensuring Israel's security.

The survey, administered by the Maagar Mochot research institute, involved
610 respondents, constituting a representative sample of Israeli Jews over
the age of 18.

Asked about military action against Iran, 66 percent said they approved of
it, 15 percent said they were opposed and 19 percent said they did not know.
Among those who said they approved army action, 15 percent said they would
change their minds if the United States opposed it, while 75 percent said
they would not. The rest said they did not know or gave other answers.

Focusing on Israeli-U.S. relations in the Obama era, the survey revealed
concern over possible erosion of U.S. support for Israel, and over a
rapprochement between the United States and Arab countries at the expense of
Israel.

Sixty percent of the respondents said they had a "positive" or "very
positive' attitude toward President Obama. However, only 38 percent said
they thought his attitude to Israel was friendly - in contrast to 73 percent
of respondents in a 2007 poll, who defined the attitude of the previous
president, George W. Bush, as friendly.

Asked whether reconciliation with the Arab and Muslim world would come at
the expense of Israel's interests, 63 percent said they believed it would;
71 percent, however, said the interests of the United States and Israel were
"similar" or "complemented each other."

Most Israelis, according to the poll, follow the news in America, mainly
through the Israeli media.