US Support for Palestinians Plummets

Following the election of Hamas as the Palestinian Authority?s ruling party, Americans have grown more pessimistic that peace will ever be achieved in the Middle East, and increasingly sympathetic toward the Israelis. American opinions of the Palestinians had been improving in recent years, but now are among the worst Gallup has ever measured. Most Americans do not believe the United States should give any financial assistance to the Palestinian Authority ? regardless of its stance toward Israel ? and most say the United States should conduct diplomatic relations with the Palestinians (only) if they recognize Israel as a nation.

Hamas secured a majority of seats in the latest Palestinian parliament, raising worldwide concerns about what the militant organization, considered by many nations to be a terrorist group, might do with governing power. By a 2-1 margin, Americans now say there will never come a time when Israel and the Arab nations will live in peace, according to the annual Gallup Poll on World Affairs, conducted Feb. 6-9. The 65% to 32% split compares with a roughly 50-50 split last year. The current reading on this ?future peace? measure, along with one other reading from August 2001, represents the most pessimistic Americans have been since the question was first asked in 1997.