Two new polls conducted by the polling firm, Zogby International — one for the Arab-American Institution, and the other for United Press International — show that for both Arabs and Americans, issues relating to the Middle East continue to generate conflicted attitudes and sometimes animosity.
A survey of the attitudes of citizens of five Arab countries - including several of America's most important allies in the region - shows negative views of Americans abound. Reuters reports that over the past year, views of the American people, products and culture grew increasingly negative. James Zogby, president of the Arab-American Institute which commissioned the survey, said it showed that the Iraq Study Group had it right when it issued its report on how to deal with problems in the region.
"What the poll says to me is Baker-Hamilton are right," Zogby said.
"If America wants to salvage itself and improve its standing and get the credibility and legitimacy it needs to lead in Iraq, it needs to do something to earn the trust of allies in the broader region," he said.
The surveys, conducted in November, surveyed 3,500 Arab adults in Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon and Jordan.
Mother Jones reports that in previous years, similar surveys found that while US policies created hard feelings in the Arab world, Americans themselves were always well-liked. This is the first public poll that has indicated that good feelings towards American citizens have also declined.
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The Detroit News reports that in countries like Jordan and Morocco, where only two years ago one-third of those interviewed had a positive view of the US, the number of respondents who said they viewed the US positively fell below 10 percent — in Jordan it has fallen to five percent. Overall in the region, only US education is still seen in a favorable light.
The Washington Times reports that in the past, those surveyed separated US policy from their views of the American public, but that distinction has been disappearing.
Mr. Zogby said he first noticed a distinct shift in 2004. In the 2006 survey, only a plurality of Lebanese polled expressed a favorable view of the American people, with 44 percent approving and 18 percent expressing unfavorable views.
The American people are viewed least favorably in Saudi Arabia, where 18 percent said they had a favorable opinion and 34 percent expressed an unfavorable opinion. At the same time, 50 percent of Saudis say they like American products, compared with 24 percent who do not ...
Middle Eastern poll respondents cited the Iraq war and perceived US support for Israel over the Palestinians as their biggest concerns.
Meanwhile in another poll conducted by Zogby for United Press International, 59.2 percent of Americans surveyed said it was very important to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. Majorities of both Democrats and Republicans felt this way. The poll (conducted on 6,296 Americans between Dec. 4 and Dec. 6) also showed 46 percent considered Israel and the Palestinians jointly responsible for the breakdown of the peace process — 36 percent of respondents said the Palestinians were to blame along and 10 percent said Israel was solely responsible.
In pursuing the peace process in the Middle East – if it ever came to that again #&8211; 35 percent said Bush should lean toward Israel; those who believe the president should favor the Palestinians were in a minority at 3.6 percent, while 55.8 percent said the president should choose the middle ground.
Is the United States acting as a fair and honest broker in the Middle East conflict? Answering "yes" were 36.5 percent, "no" 48.6 percent and "neither" 14.9 percent.
Asked if they agree that Palestinians are entitled to equal rights, 79.1 percent said "yes," while 12.8 percent disagreed. As for the establishment of a Palestinian state 64.7 percent said "yes," 15.4 percent said "no."
Perhaps more surprising, the poll shows that a small plurality of those surveyed (38.8 percent to 37.1 percent) said that US support for Israel weakens US security. There was also a strong division based on the race of those surveyed.
About two-thirds of those asked listed themselves as "white." Of that subset 39.1 percent said support for Israel strengthened US security and 36.7 said it weakened it.
The policy fared less well with minority participants. More than half -- 53.1 percent -- of African-Americans asked said support for Israel weakened US security. An even larger percentage -- 62.6 percent -- of Asian-Americans expressed the same opinion as did 40.8 percent of Hispanics.
In other areas of the poll, according to Zogby International:
When presented with 5 key areas of dispute in the conflict, respondents were asked to choose one of two statements that best represented their opinion. In three of the issues (right of return, water rights and the disposition of Israeli settlements), a plurality of respondents sided with the positions that closely align with the general Palestinian position. With respect to the construction of the Israeli security wall, respondents cited support for the Israeli position, while opinion was evenly divided on the question of the division of Jerusalem....
Two in three respondents (65%) concur with the US decision to suspend aid to the Palestinian Authority unless Hamas meets certain conditions (including recognizing Israel�s right to exist). Respondents were evenly split over whether or not the US government should engage in diplomacy with a democratically elected Hamas or Hizbullah government.
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Feedback appreciated. E-mail Tom Regan.
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