There are large party differences, with independents dividing almost evenly on the appropriateness of independently inviting foreign leaders who are likely to criticize a President’s policy to speak before Congress.  There is also party crossover: nearly one in four Republicans finds invitations like this inappropriate; one in five Democrats do not. 

Netanyahu’s likely message to Congress might be very well-received by the American public: 79% view Iran as unfriendly or an enemy, and 61% say it is a serious threat to the United States.  Those opinions are more likely to be held by Republicans, but majorities of Democrats also agree that Iran is a threat – and not a friend to the U.S. 

But despite their doubts about Iran, Americans of both parties approve of an international agree with Iran that would require it to freeze parts of its nuclear program in return for easing economic sanctions – even though most don’t trust Iran much to live up to any agreement, and many would rather use sticks, not carrots, to get Iran to lose its nuclear capacity.