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APN Poll of Jewish Americans Finds Strong Support for Proposals in Geneva Initiative

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Lewis Roth
January 29, 2004

(202) 728-1893

Backing for Settlement Freeze Is Also High

Washington, D.C.-Americans for Peace Now (APN) today released the results of its latest survey of Jewish Americans in which it found strong support for specific proposals contained in the recently launched Geneva Initiative for Israeli-Palestinian peace. In addition, respondents gave firm backing to a freeze on settlement expansion. The APN survey was conducted from January 12-15, 2004 by Zogby International. Five hundred Jewish Americans were included in the random telephone sample. The survey's margin of error is +/- 4.5%.

"The latest APN survey indicates that specific positions articulated in the Geneva Initiative have a solid base of support in the Jewish American community," said Debra DeLee, President and CEO of Americans for Peace Now. "Our poll underscores the strong backing for pro-peace policies in the Jewish American community at large that often gets overlooked in the Jewish organizational world and Washington debates. We are particularly pleased with the plurality of Jewish Americans willing to see Jerusalem serve as the capital of both Israel and a future Palestinian state, as well as the majority's backing of Geneva's formula for addressing the refugee issue. Jewish Americans are firmly pro-Israel and pro-peace."

Poll Results:

Q. Do you support or oppose the recognition of the right of the Jewish people to statehood and the recognition of the right of the Palestinian people to statehood?
A. Support = 85.4%; Oppose = 7.7%; Not sure = 6.9%

Q. Do you support or oppose having Jerusalem serve as the capital of both a future Palestinian state and the State of Israel, with the Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem being recognized as the Palestinian capital and the Jewish neighborhoods of Jerusalem being recognized as the Israeli capital?
A. Support = 46.9%; Oppose = 39.4%; Not Sure = 13.7%

Q. In the Geneva Accords, Palestinian refugees would be entitled to compensation for their refugee status and loss of property, as well as a guaranteed right to settle in the new Palestinian state or third countries. In addition, the Geneva Accords would allow Israel to make a sovereign decision about how many refugees, if any, would be allowed to live inside its borders. Do you support or oppose such a formula for addressing the refugee issue?
A. Support = 60.3%; Oppose = 25.9%; Not Sure = 13.7%

Q. Do you support or oppose requiring Israelis and Palestinians to cooperate on security matters and to commit themselves to fighting terrorism and violence in the context of an Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty?
A. Support = 86.4%; Oppose = 8.6%; Not Sure = 5%

Q. Do you support or not support the use of outside, international monitors to determine if the terms of an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement are kept by both sides?
A. Support = 69.7%; Not Support = 24.6%; Not Sure = 5.6%

Q. Do you support or oppose a freeze on all Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank and Gaza?
A. Support = 62.7%; Oppose = 27.5%; Not Sure = 9.8%

Q. If the U.S. is NOT significantly involved in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, do you agree or disagree that it will be possible for Israelis and Palestinians to reach a peace agreement and implement it on their own?
A. Agree = 31.6%; Disagree = 63%; Not Sure = 5.3%