73% of Americans believe Israeli land concession won’t solve conflict

A new poll has shown that more than 4 out of 5 Americans – 81 percent – agree with the demand  made by the Netanyahu government believe that that Palestinian leaders should acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, as against 7 percent who think they should not. The poll, conducted by Rasmussen, also showed that only 27 percent of Americans believe it likely that Palestinian leaders will acknowledge Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, as against 60 percent who regard it as unlikely. Moreover, that 35 percent of Americans believe that Obama is not supportive enough of Israel, whereas only 10 percent believe that he is too supportive of Israel (‘Toplines – Israel & Palestine – June 21-22, 2009,’ Rasmussen National Survey of 1,000 Likely Voters Conducted June 21-22, 2009).

These findings are consistent with a June Israel Project poll which found that 44 percent of American voters believe that believe the United States should support Israel, as against 5 percent who believe the United States should support the Palestinians (‘Poll: American voters’ support of Israel drops,’ Jewish Telegraphic Agency, June 2009). They are also consistent with a January 2009 Israel project poll that found that 73 percent of Americans believe the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is about ideology and religion, compared to only 19 percent who believe that the conflict is about land (Israel Project poll, January 10-12, 2009, Etgar Lefkowits, ‘Americans still strongly support Israel,’ Jerusalem Post, February 5, 2009)

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “This poll demonstrates that Americans understand and support the Netanyahu government’s position that the Palestinians must demonstrate in word and deed that they accept the existence of Israel as a Jewish state if there is to be any prospect of a genuine peace. Clearly, what is happening now – the promotion of hatred and violence against Jews and the West in all aspects of their culture, from their schools, to their mosques, to their media, to their speeches – is feeding the conflict, not ending it. The results of this poll and the other recent survey cited – especially the Israel Project poll finding in February that nearly three-quarters of Americans believe that the conflict is based on religion, not on land, for which reason Israeli territorial concessions won’t solve it – bear this out this understanding.

“This poll also shows that the Obama Administration’s strong public pressure on Israel to make further concession to an unreconstructed Palestinian Authority does not enjoy the agreement of the American public.”