Obama popularity in Israel surges after U.N. speech: poll JERUSALEM (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's popularity has risen sharply in Israel after he spoke out forcibly against a Palestinian statehood bid at the United Nations last week, according to a poll published by the Jerusalem Post on Wednesday. feeds.reuters.com/~r/Reuters/PoliticsNews/~3/JcWQP9F_daQ/us-israel-usa-obama-idUSTRE78R11Z20110928