Israelis Hold Most Unfavorable View of UN Compared to Other Countries

JERUSALEM, Israel - A new Pew Research Center poll published Monday reveals that Israelis dislike the United Nations more than any of the other countries surveyed.

The study, which measured how favorably or unfavorably countries view the UN, was conducted between May and August and included 34,904 respondents across 32 countries. Pew found that 65 percent of Israelis hold an unfavorable view of the UN, more than any other country on the list.

Only 31 percent of Israelis view the UN positively while 5 percent said they didn't know how they felt about the international body.

The results are unsurprising as Israeli leaders have long accused the UN of anti-Israel bias.

Israel is the only country with a dedicated agenda item in the UN Human Rights Council solely devoted to condemning Israel's treatment of the Palestinians.

The United States pulled out of the council last year citing institutionalized bias against the Jewish state.

Earlier this year, Israel and the US also left the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), accusing it of unfairly targeting Israel.

Russia is the second country with the least favorable view of the UN, with 43 percent holding negative opinions.

The countries with the most favorable views of the UN include: Philippines (86 percent positive), South Korea (82 percent), Sweden (80 percent) and Poland (78 percent).

In the US, 59 percent of Americans viewed the UN favorably and 33 percent negatively. Americans are divided along party lines when it comes to how they view the UN. Pew noted that 77 percent of Democrats favor the UN while only 36 percent of Republicans view the body positively.