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Poll: US public divided on Israeli strike on Iran
A new poll shows that U.S. public opinion is divided when it comes to how the United States should react to an Israeli attack on Iran.
The New York Times-CBS News poll released Monday evening found that 47 percent of respondents say the United States should support Israel if it were to attack Iran to prevent it from getting nuclear weapons, while 42 percent say Washington should not get involved.
That level of support is slightly lower than the backing for a U.S. strike on Iran to stop it from obtaining nuclear weapons. The poll found 51 percent would support the United States taking military action against Iran, while 36 percent are opposed.
President Obama has urged Israel to allow time for sanctions to take effect against Iran before taking military action, a message he pushed when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Washington last week.
Iran says that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, while the United States, Israel and other allies believe Iran is looking to produce nuclear weapons.
Obama’s approval rating for the Iran situation was at 42 percent, slightly higher than the 39 percent who disapproved.
Support for Obama’s handling of foreign policy overall dropped in the poll, with 40 percent approving and 41 percent disapproving. He had a 50 percent approval rating in February’s New York Times-CBS News poll.
