92% of Americans have heard about the protests in Egypt. And while they think of Egypt as friendly to the U.S., they are not sure people there like America, and many in the most recent Economist/YouGov Poll worry that things could get worse in Egypt before they get better.
58% regard Egypt as friendly or as an ally; 18% describe it as unfriendly or an enemy. While not as positive as the 71% friendly/ally rating Americans give to Israel, it is higher than the (still positive) results they give to Saudi Arabia and Jordan. Two other Middle East countries, Yemen and Tunisia, rated by far fewer Americans, get negative assessments. Yemen, after all, has been the location for several recent individuals who have attempted terrorist attacks against the U.S.
Which of the following countries do you consider to be a friend or an enemy of the United States?
| Ally of the U.S. | Friendly | Unfriendly | Enemy ofthe U.S. | Not sure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Israel | 55% | 16% | 6% | 5% | 17% |
Egypt | 22% | 36% | 14% | 4% | 24% |
Saudi Arabia | 12% | 33% | 22% | 10% | 22% |
Jordan | 13% | 34% | 17% | 5% | 31% |
Tunisia | 2% | 17% | 23% | 7% | 51% |
Yemen | 2% | 14% | 30% | 18% | 35% |
Americans hold negative views of Iran (54% call Iran an enemy). Pakistan is also seen negatively: 23% call it an ally or friend; but 54% view it as unfriendly or as an enemy.
But when it comes to Americans’ perceptions of how people in these countries view the United States, the picture is bleak. In every one of these countries (except for Israel) more Americans think local people have an unfavorable view of Americans than have a favorable view.
Do you think that people in these countries have a favorable or an unfavorable view of the United States?
| Veryfavorable | Somewhatfavorable | Somewhatunfavorable | Veryunfavorable | Notsure | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Israel | 29% | 35% | 11% | 7% | 18% |
Egypt | 5% | 27% | 31% | 15% | 22% |
Saudi Arabia | 3% | 22% | 34% | 21% | 21% |
Jordan | 4% | 23% | 28% | 16% | 29% |
Tunisia | 3% | 10% | 26% | 18% | 42% |
Yemen | 2% | 9% | 27% | 32% | 30% |
Pakistan | 2% | 10% | 35% | 33% | 20% |
Iran | 2% | 9% | 23% | 49% | 17% |
In fact, 39% of Americans say relations with the Muslim world are getting worse. Only 9% think they are improving. 28% say the U.S. has given too much support to Egypt in recent years, only 6% say it has been too little (32% say it’s the right amount).
When it comes to foreign aid in general, Americans are very pragmatic. 69% want the U.S. ONLY to help countries that can provide political benefits to the United States. Just 31% would help all countries that need help.
Majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents agree.
And as for Egypt, Americans are only moderately hopeful. 41% believe a stable democracy eventually will emerge in Egypt, although most of them say that will not happen within the next year or so. 31% say there will never be a stable democracy in Egypt.
Republicans are more skeptical than Democrats about this.
There is agreement that the United States should give high priority to supporting internet freedom worldwide. More than a third describe this as a very important goal and another third say it is somewhat important.
As for President Obama, Americans give him positive ratings on his handling of the protests. 43% approve, 23% do not. Another 24% aren’t sure. And there are the usual partisan divisions.
Overall, the President is maintaining his approval level in the mid-40’s. In this poll, 46% approve, while 48% disapprove.
Image source: Flickr (sierragoddess)
