June 4, 2007

Washington, D.C.-The Arab American Institute (AAI) and Americans for Peace Now (APN) today released the results of their joint survey of Arab Americans and Jewish Americans gauging support within both communities for Arab-Israeli peace. The survey was carried out by Zogby International. 501 Jewish Americans were polled from May 22- 23, 2007 while 501 Arab Americans were surveyed from May 22- 26, 2007. The margin of error for both samples is +/- 4.5%.

The survey confirms that strong majorities in both the Jewish and Arab American communities remain committed to a two-state settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, support a negotiated settlement to final status issues, and consider a resolution to the conflict in the U.S. national interest. In addition, both communities believe it is important for Arab Americans and Jewish Americans to work together to achieve peace. Moreover, Jewish and Arab Americans largely share a common vision for what constitutes positive U.S. engagement. Interestingly, both populations remain largely unaware of these common views and underestimate each other's support for the security and independence of both Israel and a Palestinian state.

The full poll results are available at HERE. Highlights from the responses of Jewish Americans follow.

Support for the Two-State Solution

American Jews support a negotiated two-state settlement.

• 87% would support a negotiated peace agreement that included the establishment of an independent, secure Palestinian state alongside an independent, secure Israeli state, and resolved final status issues of Jerusalem, refugees, and border.
• 89% believe that it is important for Arab Americans and Jewish Americans to work together to achieve a two-state peace settlement.

American Jews support a freeze in West Bank settlement construction and an end to the occupation that began in the 1967 War.

• 65% think that it is important to end the occupation.
• By a margin of 2 to 1 (63% to 30%), American Jews think that Israel should freeze settlement construction.

Support for Active Diplomacy, Dissatisfaction with Bush Approach

American Jews overwhelmingly understand that Israeli-Palestinian peace is important to America.

• 96% agree that trying to achieve peace is important to U.S. strategic interests.
• 80% agree that a serious U.S. effort regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will help America achieve broader goals in the Middle East, as the Baker-Hamilton report suggested.

American Jews think the Bush Administration is ineffective in its pursuit of Middle East peace.

• 4 out of 5 (80%) American Jews rate President Bush's handling of the Arab-Israeli conflict as ineffective, while a similar margin (76%) rated President Clinton's policies as effective.
• 81% say that the U.S. should support Israel-Syria negotiations. Only 9% say that the U.S. should oppose them.

American Jews support diplomacy.

• 70% support the Arab League Initiative as a basis for negotiations.
• By a margin of 7 to 1 (47% to 7%), American Jews see Saudi Arabia's leadership in efforts to resolve the Arab-Israeli conflict as a positive development.
• Regarding U.S. policy towards Iran, nearly three-quarters (73%) of American Jews want the U.S. to engage in diplomacy. Only 1 in 5 (21%) believes that diplomacy with Iran is a waste of time and that the U.S. should start preparing for military action.
• When asked what direction the Bush Administration has taken regarding Middle East peace efforts, 41% said it was leaning toward Israel; 34% said it was disengaged; 17% said it was steering a middle course; and 4% said it was leaning towards Palestinians.
• Asked how the Bush Administration should pursue peace, American Jewish opinion is divided with almost equal numbers supporting a middle course (40%) or leading towards Israel (44%). Only 10% said it should disengage.

Advice to Presidential Candidates.

• Presidential candidates have everything to gain and nothing to lose by embracing an active role in the peace process.
• Only 3% of American Jews said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who promised to take an active role in the peace process. 68% said that they would be more likely to vote for such a candidate.
• By a margin of 6 to 1 (59% to 9%), American Jews said that they were more likely to vote for a candidate that promised to support Israel-Syria peace negotiations.