I've always maintained that for there
to be an effective U.S. policy pressing for a just Middle East
peace, there had to be a U.S. constituency that demanded such a
policy. The results of a recent poll establishes that such a
constituency exists among strong majorities of Arab Americans and
American Jews-both of whom agree on the general outlines of a just
peace plan.
It may be
surprising to some that despite more than two years of terrible
violence and tragedy and growing polarization in the Middle East,
Arab Americans and American Jews remain committed to support for a
two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
This was but one of the findings of
a special poll commissioned by the Arab American Institute (AAI) and
Americans for Peace Now (APN). The poll, conducted by Zogby
International of New York, interviewed 500 Arab Americans and 500
American Jews about a number of U.S. policy and Middle East peace
issues.
What was most striking about the
results were the many points of convergence between the two
communities. For example, more than 90% of the respondents in both
communities report that they closely follow Middle East news. And
majorities in both communities say that they are pessimistic about
the prospects for Middle East peace (six in 10 Arabs, and
three-quarters of American Jews).
Neither Arab Americans nor American
Jews give U.S. President George W. Bush high ratings for his
handling of the Arab-Israeli conflict. In fact, both groups give
the President near identical negative ratings-Jews rating Bush's
performance 28% positive and 70% negative and Arab Americans giving
the President a 26%/67% net negative score.
While the negative assessments are
the same, it appears from the data in the poll that the reasons
behind each communities' concerns are somewhat different. A
significant number of American Jews, it appears, fault the
Administration for being too disengaged from the search for peace,
while a substantial number of Arab Americans critique the
Administration for showing too much support for Israel.
Interestingly, when asked how the
President should pursue Middle East peace, pluralities in both
communities agreed that the Administration should be more balanced
and not favor either side.
Where the strongest agreement exists
between the two groups is in their mutual support for two
"independent and secure states" for Israelis and Palestinians.
More than 95% of Arab Americans
support a "secure and independent" Palestine and a "secure and
independent" Israel. Meanwhile, 87% of American Jews, support such
a state for Palestinians, while more than 95% support an "secure and
independent Israel".
And when given the broad outlines of
a compromise peace proposal both Arab Americans and American Jews
largely agreed. Specifically the proposal presented followed the
Taba outline and asked:
Would you support a peace
agreement between Israelis and Palestinians that included the
establishment of an independent, secure Palestinian state
alongside an independent, secure Israeli state, the evacuation
of most settlements from the West Bank and Gaza, the
establishment of a border roughly along the June 4, 1967 border,
a Palestinian right of return only to inside a new
Palestinian state, and establishing Jerusalem as the shared
capital of both countries?
52% of American Jews agreed to this
plan, only 30% disagreed. 79% of Arab Americans agreed and only 11%
disagreed.
One interesting area of disconnect
between the two groups comes in their perceptions of each other.
For example, although 95% of Arab Americans support a secure and
independent Israel, only 34% of American Jews thought that Arab
Americans held such a view, while 41% felt that Arab Americans did
not support it. At the same while 86% of American Jews support a
secure and independent Palestine, some 50% of Arab Americans
indicated that they believed American Jews shared this view, with
30% believing that they did not.
Never the less, very solid
majorities of both Arab Americans (94%) and American Jews (87%)
believed that it was important for the two communities to "work
together to achieve a Middle East peace where Palestinians and
Israelis each have the right to live in an independent state of
their own."
What the AAI/APN poll demonstrates
is that there are substantial areas of common ground on which Arab
Americans and American Jews can work together to press for a
balanced U.S. peace policy. Already efforts are underway in several
communities around the United States and nationally for Arab
Americans and American Jews to come together to explore how to
translate their shared commitment into a program for change.
After two years of violence that has
destroyed lives, shattered hopes and brutally transformed the West
Bank and Gaza into a devastated and impoverished land-it is
important that many Arab Americans and American Jews still seek a
way forward based on mutual rights and respect. What the AAI/APN
poll tells us is that while both communities have obvious deep
feelings and attachments to different sides in this struggle, and
while they may differ in many areas, they can find common agreement
and work for peace.
