Israelis believe Republican presidential nominee would be better for Israel than his rival, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, yet narrowly favor the Democrat in this November’s election.
According to a poll conducted by Panels on behalf of the Knesset Channel, by a margin of 6 points Israelis are more likely to believe that a Trump presidency would be better for Israel than a Clinton one.
While neither candidate received a majority, 44% said Trump would be better for Israel, compared to 38% for Clinton.
Despite that, however, 43% of Israelis said that were they able to participate in the elections, they would vote for Clinton, compared to 39% who said they would support Trump.
After fainting at a 9/11 memorial ceremony in Manhattan last Sunday, Mrs. Clinton’s health has come under increased scrutiny. A video showing the former Secretary being carried by aides into a waiting van has sparked speculation that Mrs. Clinton’s health is far more fragile than once thought – a claim she and her personal physician have denied.
After initially suggesting Mrs. Clinton had simply become “overheated” during the ceremony and left to cool down, campaign spokespeople later stated the former Secretary was suffering from pneumonia and had become dehydrated.
When asked if they believed Clinton and her campaign with regards to her health, Israelis were fairly evenly divided on the issue, with a small plurality of 49% saying they accepted her claims, compared to 43% who did not.