Report
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December 9, 2010
Attitudes Toward the Middle East Peace Process: Surveys of Arab and Jewish Opinion in Israel and Public Opinion in the United States
Key Findings:
Among the findings of the American poll, is that one quarters of Americans polled believe state that the Arab-Israeli issue is one of the top three American interests, and two thirds say it's among the top five American interests. 71% of those polled support American diplomatic efforts to mediate the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and two thirds want the United States to "lean toward neither side," 25% want American diplomacy to lean toward Israel, and 2% want the US to lean toward the Palestinians.
The difference between Republicans, on the one hand, and Democrats and Independents on the other, are striking on this issue: 46% of Republicans want American diplomacy to lean toward Israel, in comparison with 14% for Democrats, and 11% for Independents.
In the two polls among Jewish Israelis and Arab/Palestinian citizens of Israel, there are a number of timely findings pertaining to defining Israel as a Jewish state, the proposed "loyalty oath" and the prospects of peace. Both Jews and Arabs in Israel have a more positive view about President Obama personally, than do Arabs in the Arab world. Jewish Israelis are divided on Obama: He is the third most admired leader and the second most disliked. 45% of Arab citizens of Israeli still have a favorable view of Obama, but that's down from over 70% in 2009. Strikingly, the most admired leader by Jewish Israelis is a German: Angela Merkel.