Poll shows partisan divide on Middle East conflict
By Farah Stockman, Globe Staff
WASHINGTON -- A large majority of President Obama's supporters favor increasing US pressure on Israel, according to a new poll released today that shows a deep partisan divide on the issue and an increased willingness on the part of Democrats to support actions that have long been considered taboo in mainstream American politics.
According to the Zogby International survey, 71 percent of Obama backers believe that the United States should "get tough with Israel" to stop the expansion of settlements, compared to just 26 percent of those who supported Republican presidential candidate John McCain. Also, 80 percent of likely Obama voters were in total agreement with the phrase, "It's time for the United States to get tough with Israel," while just 16 percent of McCain supporters agreed.
The poll, commissioned by the Doha Debates, a Qatar-based foundation, also found that half of all Obama supporters believe US support for Israel weakens US security, while 67 percent of Obama voters supported talks with the Palestinian militant group Hamas, a percentage similar to the proportion of Israelis who support such talks.
The poll numbers come as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been reluctant to support a Palestinian state, met with Obama for the first time at the White House. Netanyahu stressed stopping Iran's nuclear program, while many in the Obama administration see the creation of a Palestinian state as a top priority, in part, because the plight of the Palestinians fuels extremism and increases support for Iran's anti-American message.
But the Zogby poll suggests that Netanyahu's views are a hard sell among Democrats. He is viewed "totally unfavorably" by 49 percent of Obama voters, while only 29 percent viewed him "totally favorably." Meanwhile, 82 percent of McCain voters viewed him as "totally favorably," while only 9 percent viewed him "totally unfavorably."
The poll questioned a representative sampling of 4,340 American adults early in April and suggests that the same demographic trends that swept Obama into office might eventually impact US policy towards one of its closest allies.
Young people, blacks, and Latinos, who turned out in droves for Obama, have radically different views about the Israel-Palestinian conflict than do evangelical Christians who have made up the Republican party's base over the past eight years.
"It's become a bellwether issue of the Republican party" similar to abortion and gun rights, said John Zogby, CEO of Zogby International. "This is not a new trend. It is an accentuation of a trend that has been there for 15 years."
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President Obama is doing the right thing. A palestine state is the best protection for Isreal from an Iranian nuclear attack. Just look at the map, Iran can not nuke isreal without killing off the palestinians through radioactive fallout.
It is in Isreal's best interest to have a viable palestinian state. I admit that it is not in the short term interest of isreali politicians to have a palestinian state as that would cost them the support of the far right, and big spending, evangelicals in the republican party. But it is best for the country.
By the way, our oldes and closest ally is the United Kingdom.
President Obama is doing the right thing. A palestine state is the best protection for Isreal from an Iranian nuclear attack. Just look at the map, Iran can not nuke isreal without killing off the palestinians through radioactive fallout.
It is in Isreal's best interest to have a viable palestinian state. I admit that it is not in the short term interest of isreali politicians to have a palestinian state as that would cost them the support of the far right, and big spending, evangelicals in the republican party. But it is best for the country.
By the way, our oldes and closest ally is the United Kingdom.
The US and Israel are and will continue to be allies. However, their interests collide in regards to the Palestineans. Gaza and to a lesser extent the West Bank have become a giant ungoverned refugee camp, bereft of economic opportunity for the residents. Israel has prevented their development with blockades, then complained they have no government with which to negotiate. And, the Israeli government fails to prevent new settlements and the expansion of existing settlements.
Until the US is seen to champion a Palestinean state, we will continue to be the target of Muslim Extremists. We must deprivbe them of an enemy.
President Obama is doing the right thing. A palestine state is the best protection for Isreal from an Iranian nuclear attack. Just look at the map, Iran can not nuke isreal without killing off the palestinians through radioactive fallout.
It is in Isreal's best interest to have a viable palestinian state. I admit that it is not in the short term interest of isreali politicians to have a palestinian state as that would cost them the support of the far right, and big spending, evangelicals in the republican party. But it is best for the country.
By the way, our oldes and closest ally is the United Kingdom.
Since Israel has keep expanding with the illegal settlements and treating the palestines with more and more contempt, is it a wonder why they keep losing support? Yes we need to support Israel and make sure they continue as a country, but at some point they need to come to the table and have a long last peace in that region. Hamas also needs to get it butt in gear and also negotiate in good faith. Imagine if these two foolish people would actually act in their own best interests and not in a the hateful way they have been treating each other for the past 50 years. I guess children never learn.
The Poll was commissioned by a foundation based in Qatar???? Sounds unbiased to me.
President Obama will soon lose all Jewish and Evangelical support if he pressures Israel. Netanyahu correctly says Palestinians must first recognize Israel and stop the rockets. Then they will bed on the road to their own state.
Gerald Schwartz
Florida
The rockets will continue to rain on Israel until they elect a prime minister who has the will and the courage to drive the Palestinians and Hamas out of Gaza and the West Bank. When George Bush gives back his Crawford,Texas ranch to the Native Americans is when peace will come to Israel. To the victor goes the spoils. Americans killed thousands of Indians during the conquest of the United States. The Indians that survived were placed in concentration camps euphemistically described as reservations where alcoholism and unemployment reigns. Since the Bureau of Indians Affairs has granted gambling casino licenses, some Indian tribes have prospered. Maybe gambling casinos are the solution for the Palestinians.
PPRRthePalestinians
A Palestinian State is CERTAINLY the "right thing to do" from a moral perspective, but I'm not sure I agree that it would be in Israel's best interests, and I'm positive that the Israeli leadership don't think it would be. If a Palestinian State is allowed to exist, then Israel would no longer be able to unilaterally attack and demolish Palestinian homes, cut off food and medical supplies and launch reprisal attacks at will on what would then be a sovereign nation. Having to treat Palestinians as peers on the global stage instead of being able to treat them like a bunch of savages would not be in Israel's best interests (from their perspective). That's why this talk of nationhood for Palestinians is all a smoke screen. You notice nobody in power in Israel ever seriously mentions the concept - and with good reason.
Gerald,
Did you know that even some Jews support the statement "The US must get tough on Israel"? In fact, most US Jews are to the left of a Likud that was purged of its moderates in the same way the Republican party has been in the US.
Even if your assertion were correct, Obama could do without the support of the Jews you speak for.... he does just fine without the support of rightist Evangelicals as well. I'm guessing you were not a supporter.
When America grows a set of you know what and stand up to Israel the Palestinians will have their state. Their rants about attacking Iran is foolish. An attack on Iran would wreck our economy because the price of oil will skyrocket and it would wreck our economy. Our economy is already on life support and if Israel does anything to sink it further the american public would turn against them in a heart beat.
.J.P.,
it is possible that you are too young to remember that the current Defense Minister of Israel, Ehud Barak, offered 95% of the West Bank, all of Gaza, and the Eastern part of Jerusalem, to Yassar Arafat to become the Palestinian state (much more than the Palestinians expected). Because Arafat always told his people that he would lead all of Israel into the Mediterranean Sea, he rejected the plan and started the Second Intifada (war). So, not only has "someone in power in Israel" seriously mentioned the concept, he also presented a concrete plan to the leader of the Palestineans and the international stage. He is also still a person of power in the current government, and will support a Palestinian state, even thought the powers that be in the Palestinian governments still want to follow Arafat's ideas and plow the Israel's into the sea.
Robert: There's already a Palestinian casino in Jericho. It opened in 1998. I'm not sure whether it's still open, though.
I don't believe the Palestinians truly want a state except through the obliteration of Israel and the extermination of its populace. The complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza demonstrated to the world what Palestinian independence brings: not peace, but Hamas and rockets. When the Palestinians decide that they want to create a Palestinian state more than they want to destroy the Jewish state, peace will be possible. Until then, Israel and the world must wait.
This is not surprising. A higher percentage of Democrats blame Jews for the economic crisis as well.
Maybe a better plan is to accept that the "Jewish state" has failed, and force Israel to annex the West Bank and enroll all its residents as Israeli citizens. That way the settlers would be legitimate (they'd be in their own country rather than someone else's) and Palestinians could have full rights in their own country too. And at that point, the refugees from 1948 or their descendants could come home, as it wouldn't matter any more, and Palestine/Israel could start treating all its citizens equally--apartheid was bad in South Africa and it's bad in Israel now. But either way, enough of America supporting a racist state. It's not helping everyone, even Israel.
I didn't vote for Obama, in part because he pledged his troth to Israel while he ran for President (not to mention promising to escalate the war in Afghanistan). As for Netanyahu, the man is a stone cold fanatic whose Foreign Minister thinks the Palestinians are less than human. How things can come full circle. First the Jews are ethnically cleansed from much of Europe. Now they seek to cleans the Arabs from Palestine. Enough.
We never hear Palestine's right to exist, Palestine's right to defend itself, or Palestinians having the same rights as Israelis. Many countries believe that violent resistance of a foreign occupier is justified and expected. For over 30 years Israel (with US backing) has violated all agreements and International laws with impunity and has not made any concessions. It is obvious to the whole world that the Palestinians are viewed and treated as sub-human and irrelevant. The person that submitted the observation of the similarity of US treatment of Native Americans is spot on.
Now is the time for Obama to pressure the Arabs. It is the Arab governments in Gaza, the West Bank, and in all other Arab countries, that refuse to allow any Jewish residents. Nine hundred thousand Jews were expelled from Arab countries when Israel was formed. All lost their property, none were paid compensation, none were recognized as refugees (which they are). My aunt was one of them. If all the "peace and justice" activists at this site want to avoid being hypocrites, they should call for an even-handed solution, rather than the double standards I keep hearing. Let's be honest here. When the Israeli government talks about "illegal settlements," they refer to homes that lack proper building permits. When anti-settlement activists talk about "illegal settlements," they refer to all Jews living outside the pre-67 armistice line. If Jews are not allowed to live on "Arab Land," then should they also be expelled from "Persian Land," "Italian Land," "Greek Land," and perhaps even "German Land?" Just listen to yourselves!
the left wants israel to commit suicide ..along with the rest of the world...whats so sad...is that it wont deter iran and the islamic crazies one iota from blowing up the whole world one day......
A Palestinian state is the best insurance for a secure Israel there can be. I support both, as do many Iraelis, who are not happy with their hard-line leadership.
Seriously, this is John Zogby, whose agenda is known. He actually uses the word "Palestine" when it doesn't exist yet. His options about the right of return are crazy, as he's tried to spin it that people support "a right of return OR compensation" because of those who chose the option, perhaps most could have been for compensation? He is trying to influence Obama's policies with sad excuse for reporting, and he is working to hijack the party. Zogby is taking advantage of the radical fringe left to try to hurt Israel, when in reality, other polls have shown consistent Democratic support for Israel.