Poll commissioned by The Israel Project (TIP) shows that almost 60 percent of U.S. voters agree with president Obama opposing Palestinian drive for a unilateral declaration of independence without negotiating a peace deal with Israel , including a majority of both Republicans and Democrats.
Asked about possible consequences of such a move, half of those polled said it would make a peace agreement less likely and 57 percent said it would harden extremists on both sides.
Sixty-four percent of respondents agreed that, “the two sides can achieve a peace agreement only when they acknowledge each other’s right to exist.” In contrast, only 27 percent of respondents agreed with the statement: “The conflict between Israel and the Palestinians is really about land. Once agreements are reached on how to divide Jerusalem and establishing borders, the two sides can achieve a peace agreement.”
Two-thirds of those surveyed believe Israel should not negotiate with a Palestinian unity government that includes Iran-backed Hamas until it recognizes Israel and renounces violence.
Fifty-six percent of respondents said the United States should continue to support Israel in the conflict compared to only 10 percent who thought Washington should back the Palestinians. Half of voters said recent events have given them a less favorable impression of the Palestinians.
The national survey of 800 registered voters (Charts) was conducted June 5-7, 2011 by Public Opinion Strategies on behalf of The Israel Project. The sample included respondents reached by both landline and cellular phones. The margin of error for the survey is 3.46 percent.