U.S. Poll: Israel Still Most Favored Mideast Nation
Newsmax 

Despite recent friction between Israel and the United States over Israel's construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, Americans still view Israel as their most favored country in the Middle East, according to a new Gallup poll.

In fact, the 72 percent of poll respondents who say they have a "very favorable" view of Israel is the highest percentage since Gallup began the poll in 2010.

Back then, 67 percent viewed Israel very favorably, as did 66 percent last year.

The Gallup poll also found that 45 percent of Americans view Egypt favorably, up from 40 percent last year but down sharply from 58 percent in 2010.

As for Saudi Arabia, 35 percent view that nation favorably, while just 19 percent view Libya favorably, and 19 percent have a favorable view of the Palestinian Authority, virtually unchanged from 20 percent in 2010 but up from 15 percent last year.

Just 16 percent view Iraq favorably, and only 13 percent have a favorable view of Syria, an all-time low and the lowest percentage of all this year with the exception of Iran's 12 percent.

On Wednesday, the same day the Gallup results were released, Human Rights Watch reported that the Syrian government was using banned cluster bombs on its own citizens during the ongoing civil war.

A witness told the organization that a rocket that fell on the town of Keferzita "released small bomblets when it exploded in the air," the Jerusalem post reported.

Steve Goose, Human Rights Watch's arms division director, declared: "It is appalling that Syrian government forces are still using banned cluster munitions on their people."