Americans Sharply Divided Over Israel - Doha Debates

Zogby International

April 17, 2009

Doha, Qatar April 15 2009: Americans are showing significant disenchantment with their government's policy towards Israel - and nearly half of them want a more balanced approach to the Middle East conflict.

The trends emerged in a wide-ranging opinion poll - commissioned by the Doha Debates, a free speech forum based in Qatar - which revealed that large numbers of US voters are at odds with their country's uncritical support for Israel.

The results are most apparent among Democratic voters, with nearly 70 percent of them favouring a tougher US line on Israeli settlements.

The findings, though, offer little encouragement to the Palestinians. Overall, 71 percent of Americans have a favourable view of Israel, compared to only 25 percent who approve of the Palestinians. Nearly 50 percent regard aid to both sides as excessive - and the same percentage would like the administration to steer a "middle course" between them.

Despite heavy Palestinian casualties during the recent conflict in Gaza, 36 percent are now more supportive of Israel, compared to 29 percent who have a less favourable view of the country.

The survey, conducted by the American market research company Zogby International, polled the views of 4,340 American adults between April 1 and April 4.

It followed last month's special session of the Doha Debates at Washington's Georgetown University where 63 percent of the mainly-student audience voted that the administration should take a tougher line on Israel.

By contrast, the opinion poll showed Americans nationwide evenly divided on the issue.

Methodology

Zogby International online methodology: Slight weights were added to region, party, age, race, religion, gender and education to more accurately reflect the population. The margin of error is +/- 1.5 percentage points.

About the Doha Debates:

The Doha Debates are the leading forum for debate and discussion in the Arab world and the forum of choice for leading politicians and other experts.

Now in their fifth series, the Doha Debates tackle topical and controversial issues in the Arab and Islamic worlds in front of a local audience and on global television. The Debates are chaired by Tim Sebastian, the internationally renowned award winning broadcaster, and are broadcast on the BBC's international news channel BBC World News, which is available in 300 million homes in more than 200 countries. The Doha Debates are hosted and funded by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. The Foundation, chaired by Her Highness Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser al Missned, the wife of the Emir, is a private, chartered, nonprofit organization committed to the belief that a nation's true wealth is in the potential of its people.

About Zogby International

Zogby International is an American market research, opinion polling firm founded in 1984 by John Zogby. The company polls, researches and consults for a wide spectrum of business media, government, and political groups, and conducts public opinion research in more than 70 countries. Zogby International is headquartered in Utica, New York, with offices in Washington, D.C., and Miami, Florida.