A new poll has shown that Americans, by a margin of two to one, hold Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority (PA) responsible for the recent breakdown in Israeli/Palestinian peace talks. The poll, conducted between May 2–14, 2014, by Paragon Insights for The Israel Project, found that 66% of Americans believe that, following the reconciliation agreement between Abbas/ Fatah/PA and Hamas, Israel “cannot be expected to negotiate with a government or party that does not recognize its right to exist and seeks to destroy it,” rejecting the Palestinian argument that “a unity government of all Palestinians is the first step to lasting peace.” Only 34% of Americans disagreed and accepted the Palestinian claim that the Fatah/Hamas unity agreement was a positive development.
The survey also found that Americans deduce from Abbas’ preference for partnership with Hamas that the U.S.-brokered talks were thus bound to collapse. By 66% to 33%, Americans believe that Israel “can no longer negotiate with the Palestinian Authority now that they are forming a unity government with Hamas,” and reject the claim –– as articulated by a PA official –– that “the choice of unifying the Palestinian people enforces peace, and there is no contradiction whatsoever between reconciliation and negotiations” (The Israel Project, ‘National Poll on Middle East Peace Process’).
Hamas is a terrorist organization that calls in its Charter for the destruction of Israel (Article 15) and the murder of Jews (Article 7).
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “A large majority of Americans show that they understand better than the Obama Administration that Palestinian extremism and non-acceptance of Israel, which finds clear expression in the PA’s unity deal with Hamas, is the principal reason peace is presently not possible. They understand better than our government, to judge by the statements of President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry, that non-acceptance of Israel, not the announcement of the building of Jewish homes in part of Jerusalem, is the obstacle that prevents peace and impedes talks.”