Tishrei 30, 5765
Two weeks before the U.S.
election, hostility toward President George W. Bush has reached new
heights internationally. A joint poll taken by 10 newspapers worldwide
reveals that most of those surveyed oppose Bush's policies, want to see
him defeated, and paint his influence on the global situation in the
gloomiest colors.
Israelis, perhaps not surprisingly, are alone in
their support of the American president. While in other countries, 60-80
percent of those asked said they believed the war in Iraq to have been a
mistake, in Israel most thought it justified.
While more than half
of those polled elsewhere stated their attitude toward the U.S. had
deteriorated, most respondents in Israel said their opinion had improved,
and 76 percent said the U.S. contributed to peace in the world. Among
Israelis polled, 50 percent said they would like to see George Bush
reelected, with only 24 percent for Kerry.
The polls were conducted
in recent weeks a local newspaper in each country. In Israel, the poll was
supervised by Prof. Camille Fuchs, head of the mathematics department of
Tel Aviv University.
All poll results were transferred to
participating newspapers a week ago and are being published simultaneously
today. In addition to Haaretz, participating papers, selected by Canada's
La Presse, were France's Le Monde, Great Britain's The Guardian, Asahi
Shimbun of Japan, Spain's El Pais, and papers from Russia, Mexico,
Australia and S. Korea.
Among the poll's results: Some 60 percent
of The Guardian readers are anti-Bush, with hostility to the U.S.
president rising to 77 percent among people under 25.
Among
Mexicans, 83 percent thought the invasion of Iraq was a mistake. Some 36
percent of Canadians believe the U.S. is not a worthy model for democracy.
Among people up to age 40 in S. Korea, 70 percent reported negative
attitudes to the U.S. In France, 72 percent said they would like to see
Kerry win the election.