President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet in the White House on March 5, 2012. Photo: White House photo.

Sixty-two percent of Jewish Israelis say they do not believe that U.S. President Barack Obama can bring about a real breakthrough in Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations, according to a poll released by the Israel Democracy Institute on Tuesday.

After pollsters divided participants by Israeli political party, the survey revealed that Labor members were the most optimistic concerning the U.S. president’s peace-building capacity, with 74 percent supporting Obama’s abilities. Following Labor was Hatnuah (67 percent), Kadima (67 percent) and Meretz (50 percent), all left-leaning or centrist parties. Only 22 percent of the Habayit Hayehudi party backed Obama’s peace-making potential, and only 12 percent of Shas members shared the sentiment.

Jewish Israelis are divided almost evenly with regards to whether Israel ought to show more flexibility to help Obama get negotiations with the Palestinians restarted. Around 50 percent said they believed Israel should show more flexibility, while 48 percent said Jerusalem should remain steadfast and make no concessions.

A small majority of Jewish Israelis (51 percent) said they believed Obama carried a neutral, business-like attitude towards the Jewish state, while 36 percent believed he was friendly and 11 percent believed him to be hostile toward Israel. More Jewish Israelis thought Obama was pro-Palestinian (23 percent) than pro-Israel (18 percent).