July 30, 2007

Abstract: (Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States believe a solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is unattainable, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 50 per cent of respondents think it is impossible for the two peoples to peacefully exist side-by-side in the Middle East.

(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Many adults in the United States believe a solution to the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is unattainable, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 50 per cent of respondents think it is impossible for the two peoples to peacefully exist side-by-side in the Middle East.

The former British mandate of Palestine was instituted at the end of World War I, to oversee a territory in the Middle East that formerly belonged to the Ottoman Empire. After the end of World War II and the Nazi holocaust, the Zionist movement succeeded in establishing an internationally recognized homeland. In November 1947, the United Nations (UN) General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the formation of a Jewish state.

In 1948, the British government withdrew from the mandate and the state of Israel was created in roughly 15,000 square kilometres of the mandate's land, with the remaining areas split under the control of Egypt and Transjordan. Since then, the region has seen constant disagreement between Israel and the Palestinians, represented for decades by the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). Wars broke out in the region in the second half of the 20th Century, involving Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt.

Around 750,000 Palestinians fled or were forced to leave their territory during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. An independent Palestinian state is considered the main provision of the road map for peace in the Middle East, developed by The Quartet, which includes the United States, the United Nations (UN), the European Union (EU) and Russia.

On Jul. 16, U.S. president George W. Bush discussed the peace process, saying, "Arab states have a pivotal role to play. (...) They should show strong support for (Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud) Abbas's government and reject the violent extremism of Hamas. They should use their resources to provide much-needed assistance to the Palestinian people. Nations like Jordan and Egypt, which are natural gateways for Palestinian exports, should open up trade to create opportunities on both sides of the border."

Original Release from Rasmussen Reports

Polling Data

Is it possible for both Israel and the Palestinian people to peacefully exist side-by-side in the Middle East?

Yes	27%
No	50%
Not sure	23%

Source: Rasmussen Reports
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 American adults, conducted on Jul. 22 and Jul. 23, 2007. Margin of error is 4 per cent.