A Point of View: The American people are on our side

The American-Israeli agenda these days is a very full one. The approaching Annapolis conference, the Iran nuclear issue, questions about US-Syrian relations, technological cooperation on speeding up anti-missile technology, and efforts to involve moderate Arabs in a more constructive way are among the many issues facing the two countries.

In light of this heavy agenda, as well as concerns over the impact of the books by John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt and by Jimmy Carter attacking the American Jewish community, we at ADL thought it important to gauge American public opinion vis-à-vis Israel and Middle East issues. We've done so in a survey of 2,000 Americans conducted by our longtime pollster, The Marttila Communications Group.

The news overall, with some hiccups, is good and solid support for Israel, whether on questions of sympathy or on American interests. And, at least for now, the vast majority of Americans reject the notions about Jews and American Middle East policy purveyed by Mearsheimer and Walt.

When asked with whom their sympathies lie, the American respondents supported Israel over the Palestinians 44%-16%. This stands in marked contrast to surveys we did in May and July in 11 European countries, where in most there was greater sympathy for Palestinians (in the 30% range), while those more sympathetic to Israel were generally in the teens or 20% range (a significant percentage answered neither on both).

In terms of American interests, a solid 65% of Americans believe that Israel can be counted on as a strong and reliable ally. And 65% believe that Israel is serious about reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinians. Directly related to the discussions as to how the peace process should proceed, 52% believe that a Palestinian state should not be established until the Palestinians demonstrate a commitment to end violence.

The poll also explored American reaction to the Mearsheimer-Walt thesis about alleged Jewish control of Middle East policy. The public overwhelmingly rejected the idea that neo-conservative Jews were the driving force behind the Iraq war with only 8% saying so, while 72% attributed it to where it belongs, Bush, Cheney and Rumsfeld. As to the Mearsheimer-Walt charge that American Jews stifle debate about US policy toward the Middle East, 46% indicated that they believe the national debate is vigorous and wide open while 22% agreed with the Mearsheimer-Walt view.

Similarly, by a 53%-21% margin, those polled indicated an unwillingness to blame Jews if America ever goes to war against Iran, indicating a belief that the decision would be based on US national interests. As we head into a period of intense attention to Israel-related issues by the Bush Administration, it is reassuring to know that the American public maintains its regard for Israel and its value to America as a party that seeks peace and combats terror.

For us, as an American Jewish organization in the forefront of standing up for Israel and peace in the region, it is also reassuring, though nothing to be complacent about, that "the blame-the-Jews-syndrome" of Mearsheimer-Walt has not be accepted by the American people. Of course, we are concerned about the long-time impact, particularly if college curricula in courses on the Middle East will use their book, The Israel Lobby as a basis for understanding the making of US policy.

We have made it clear that the assaults by these professors and former President Carter will not intimidate us and will not deter us from doing what we have to do for Israel and for US-Israel relations. It is good to know that for now we have the American people on our side.