Poll Documents Changing Perceptions of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

A New Zogby Poll Highlights Changing Domestic Attitudes

A Zogby poll was taken last week after Israel’s “insulting” treatment of Vice President  Biden.  As you know, the disagreement between Israel and the U.S. is continuing with yesterday’s meetings so far not having bridged the gap between the U.S. desire to end the conflict and the Likud-led coalition’s desire to prejudge the outcome. Watch this important panel discussion held today at the New America Foundation in Washington, DC:

http://asp.newamerica.net/events/2010/american_perceptions

Just one week after General David Petraeus reemphasized the centrality of resolving the Israeli-Arab conflict to U.S. national security interests and in the aftermath of a marked cooling of relations between the two erstwhile allies since Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel two weeks ago, a new poll conducted by Zogby International shows significant American support for the Obama administration’s policies.

Among other things, the poll finds that while Americans retain strong levels of support for Israel, a great majority view the continued lack of resolution to the conflict to be harmful to U.S. interests in the regions. A plurality of those questioned further oppose Israeli settlement construction and believe they weaken American leverage and credibility in the world. Reflecting a trend that crosses into domestic issues, there is an increasing partisan divide with Democrats overwhelmingly more favorable to the President’s tactics toward ending the conflict.

Zogby International President and CEO John Zogby presented the poll’s findings, as Arab American Institute President Dr. James Zogby, the Middle East Task Force’s Amjad Atallah, and former director of Israel Policy Forum M.J. Rosenberg   provided analysis of this poll and others released this week. Steve Clemons moderated the discussion.

###

The Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, PO Box 53062, Washington DC 20009. Phone: (202) 939-6050, Fax: (202) 265-4574, Toll Free: (800) 368-5788, www.wrmea.com Published by the American Educational Trust, a non-profit foundation incorporated in Washington, DC to provide the American public with balanced and accurate information concerning U.S. relations with Middle Eastern states. Material from the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs may be printed with out charge with attribution to the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs.