Two-thirds of Americans side with Israel on peace talks collapse

(JNS.org) A new national poll reveals that two-thirds of Americans side with the Israeli perspective over the Palestinian perspective in assessing blame for the recent collapse of the U.S.-brokered peace talks.

In a poll of 1,595 likely voters that was commissioned by The Israel Project, when presented with a statement that each side in the peace talks blamed the other for the negotiations’ failure, 67 percent of respondents said they agreed more with Israel’s point of view and 33 percent sided with the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Regarding the recent unity deal between PA President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party and the terrorist group Hamas, 66 percent agreed more with Israel’s statement that it “cannot be expected to negotiate with a government or party that does not recognize its right to exist and seeks to destroy it” than a Palestinian statement that “a unity government of all Palestinians is the first step to lasting peace.”

“Two out of every three Americans understands that recent peace talks collapsed because of Palestinian intransigence, and the same overwhelming majority understand that Israel can’t be expected to sit across the table from a government comprised of terrorists, who call for the annihilation of Jews and their country,” said Josh Block, president and CEO of The Israel Project.

Additionally, 51 percent of respondents said the U.S. should be a supporter or strong supporter of Israel, while only nine percent said America should be a supporter or strong supporter of the Palestinians.