A new poll shows Americans are split on the amount of influence pro-Israeli forces in the U.S. wield concerning American Iraqi policy. The survey was commissioned by the Council for the National Interest Foundation (CNI) and carried out by Zogby International. When asked whether "the work of the Israel lobby on Congress and the Bush administration has been a key factor for going to war in Iraq and now confronting Iran," 39% agreed (or strongly agreed) while 40% disagreed (or strongly disagreed). A considerable percentage (20%) did not know. The poll added fuel to the ongoing duel between Republicans and Democrats for pro-Israel support in the upcoming midterm elections. With a Republican-Jewish support group running ads citing polls claiming a more favorable approach to Israel by Republicans and its Democratic counterpart adamantly denying the accusation, the Zogby poll is claiming that 46% of Democrats tended to believe that the pro-Israel lobby was influential in the decision to go to war in Iraq, while 45% of Republicans tended to believe it was not. CNI supports the position that "Neocons and the pro-Israel lobby in the corridors of power”influenced American policy prior to the Iraqi war.