Helping Develop Peaceful Solution to Middle East Crisis Is Important Goal to Americans

GALLUP NEWS SERVICE

PRINCETON, NJ -- American Secretary of State Colin Powell announced on Friday that he would be traveling to the Middle East later this month to meet with Middle Eastern leaders. Powell will assess the situation for the first time in his new role as head of the State Department. His choice of a first trip abroad closely matches the perceptions of the American public, over eight out of 10 of whom consider finding a solution to the Middle East situation an important priority for the United States. At the same time, many Americans are skeptical that a solution to the crisis there will ever be found. Americans, as they have been for years, are more sympathetic to Israel than to the Palestinians, although Israel as a country is not as favorably perceived as are many more traditional American allies.

Helping Solve Middle East Crisis Is High Priority for Americans
A recent Gallup poll focusing on the public's attitudes about foreign affairs underscores Americans' feelings that the solution to the Israeli-Palestinian crisis should be a major priority. Over eight out of ten Americans say in the February 1-4 poll that a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian situation should be either a somewhat or very important goal for the United States. Forty-three percent say it is very important -- slightly higher than last year, but roughly on par with results from previous years -- while another 40% say it is somewhat important.

By way of comparison, just 21% of the U.S. public says that a peaceful solution to the situation in Northern Ireland should be a very important goal for the United States.

Older Americans, who perhaps have a better historical appreciation for the wars and disputes that have resulted over the years from the Middle East imbroglio, are more likely to say that helping solve it should be an important goal of U.S. foreign policy. Among those 50 and older, 52% assign it a "very" important rating, compared to 37% of those 18-49.

There is, however, little difference between Republicans and Democrats, or liberals and conservatives, in the importance attached to the U.S. involvement in finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian problems.

At the same time that they recognize its importance, Americans remain skeptical that the situation in the Middle East will ever be resolved. Asked "Do you think there will or will not come a time when Israel and the Arab nations will be able to settle their differences and live in peace," only 41% of Americans say yes, while 56% say no. There was a little more optimism when Gallup asked this question in both January 2000 and July 1999, when 49% were optimistic. The current pessimism levels are similar to those of 1997 and 1998.

Sympathies Lie With Israel
Secretary of State Powell will be meeting not only with the newly elected Prime Minister of Israel, Ariel Sharon, on his visit, but also with Yasir Arafat, the Palestinian leader, and the leaders of other countries in the Middle East. Gallup Poll results suggest that Americans strongly feel that the U.S. should not officially take sides in the conflict, even as their sympathies, as they have for years, lie with Israel rather than the Palestinians.

When asked directly with which side their sympathies lie, Americans choose the Israelis over the Palestinian Arabs by a 51% to 16% margin. That leaves about a third of the public that doesn't have an opinion or favors either both sides, or neither side. These types of responses have been roughly the same for the past 13 years that Gallup has been asking the question. The major exception came during the Persian Gulf War, when sympathies for Israel shot up as the country suffered from the well-publicized Scud missile attacks launched by Iraq.

Who in America is most likely to support Israel? Men more than women, those living in the South more than those living in other parts of the country, and those who attend church frequently.

Additionally, as can be seen below, Republicans and conservatives are more sympathetic to Israel than are Democrats and liberals:

In the Middle East situation, are your sympathies more with the Israelis or more with the Palestinian Arabs?
	Israelis	Palestinian Arabs	NEITHER (vol.)/BOTH (vol.) /Don't Know
	%	%	%
Total Sample	51	16	33
Republicans	60	14	26
Independents	42	17	41
Democrats	51	16	33
Conservatives	59	15	26
Moderates	48	16	36
Liberals	40	19	41

Despite these leanings toward Israel, however, other Gallup poll questioning has shown that the significant majority of Americans -- 74% in a July 2000 poll -- say the United States officially should remain neutral and not take either side's position in the conflict.

Israel Viewed Favorably, but Less So Than a Number of Other Countries
The recent Gallup poll asked Americans to indicate whether they have a favorable or an unfavorable view of a list of countries. The results show that Israel is much more highly regarded than the Palestinian Authority. Sixty-three percent of Americans have a favorable view of Israel, while 32% have an unfavorable view. Twenty-two percent have a favorable view of the Palestinian Authority, while 63% have an unfavorable view.

At the same time, despite these differences, Israel comes in at only the eleventh position on the list of countries evaluated. Here is the list of the top 12 countries in rank order of favorable rating by Americans. Israel is viewed not only less favorably than are other English-speaking countries and a number of European countries with traditional ties to the U.S., but also less favorably than are Japan, Mexico, Brazil or Egypt.

"Is your overall opinion of ________ very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable, or very unfavorable?"
	% Favorable Opinion of Country
Canada	90
Australia	85
Great Britain	85
Italy	78
France	77
Germany	75
Japan	73
Brazil	69
Mexico	67
Egypt	65
Israel	63
The Philippines	63

Survey Methods

The results reported here are based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,003 adults, 18 years and older, conducted February 1-4, 2001. For results based on this sample, one can say with 95 percent confidence that the maximum error attributable to sampling and other random effects is plus or minus 3 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.

As far as you are concerned, should the development of a peaceful solution to [INSERT ITEM, ROTATE START] be a very important foreign policy goal of the United States, a somewhat important goal, not too important, or not an important goal at all? Next, how about a peaceful solution to [INSERT NEXT ITEM]?

A. The Palestinian/Israeli situation in the Middle East

 

	Very important	Somewhat important	Not too important	Not at all important	No opinion
	%	%	%	%	%
2001 Feb 1-4	43	40	10	5	2
2000 Jul 6-9	34	43	14	6	3
2000 Jan 25-26	32	46	12	6	4
1999 Jul 22-25	41	41	9	6	3
1993 Sep 10-112	41	36	11	8	4
1991 Mar	46	41	6	5	2

B. The situation in Northern Ireland

 

	Very important	Somewhat important	Not too important	Not at all important	No opinion
2001 Feb 1-4	21%	50	18	6	5
1999 Jul 22-25	23%	46	16	8	7

In the Middle East situation, are your sympathies more with the Israelis or more with the Palestinian Arabs?

 

		Israelis	Palestinian Arabs	BOTH (vol.)	NEITHER (vol.)	No opinion
		%	%	%	%	%
2001 Feb 1-4		51	16	7	14	12
2000 Oct 13-14 ^		41	11	9	18	21
2000 Jul 6-9		41	14	5	18	22
2000 Jan 25-26		43	13	5	21	18
1999 Jul 22-25		43	12	11	19	15
1998 Dec 4-6		46	13	5	22	14
1997 Aug 12-13		38	8	5	19	30
1996 Nov 21-24		38	15	6	14	27
1993 Sep 10-12		42	15	6	17	20
1991 Feb		64	7	19	--	10
1989 Aug		50	14	15	--	21
1988 May 13-15		37	15	22	--	27
^	Based on interviews with 821 national adults; +/- 4 pct. pts.

Do you think there will or will not come a time when Israel and the Arab nations will be able to settle their differences and live in peace?

 

	Yes, there will be a time	No, there will not	No opinion
	%	%	%
2001 Feb 1-4	41	56	3
2000 Jan 25-26	49	45	6
1999 Jul 22-25	49	47	4
1998 Dec 4-6	40	56	4
1997 Aug 12-13	36	56	8

In the Middle East conflict, do you think the United States should take Israel's side, take the Palestinians' side, or not take either side?

[BASED ON -- 509 -- NATIONAL ADULTS IN FORM A; ± 5 PCT. PTS.]

 

	Israel's side	Palestinians' side	Not take either side	No opinion
	%	%	%	%
2000 Jul 6-9	16	1	74	9
2000 Jan 25-26	15	1	72	12
1998 Dec 4-6	17	2	73	7
1998 May 8-10	15	2	74	9

(vol.) Volunteered response