Sadat Chair Poll: American Views on Israel, Middle East
Professor Shibley Telhami, holder of the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development and Non-Resident Senior Fellow at Brookings, released a timely new poll: “What Americans (especially Evangelicals) think about Israel and the Middle East.”
A special discussion on the poll and its results, presented by the Brookings Institution’s Center for Middle East Policy, will be held on Friday, Dec. 4 from 10-11:30 a.m. at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
As the United States gears up for the 2016 presidential race, Americans seem increasingly polarized on issues related to the Middle East, including whether and how to resolve perceived tensions between Israel and the United States. Republican candidates profess support for Israel at almost every opportunity, seeking to capitalize on an apparent partisan gap in support for Israel among the American public. The Israeli prime minister seemingly played into this gap in his fierce opposition to President Obama’s Iran nuclear deal earlier this year. His visit to Washington in November was largely an attempt to overcome this partisan legacy. What is driving these political cleavages, and how are they evolving as the presidential campaign heats up?
Professor Telhami’s poll focuses on American attitudes towards the Middle East. Based on a national sample, the poll also includes a substantial sample of Evangelical Christians—enabling an expansive analysis of this increasingly important segment of the American electorate.
He will be joined in discussion by Washington Post Reporter Michelle Boorstein and POLITICO Editor Susan Glasser. Tamara Cofman Wittes, senior fellow and director of the Center for Middle East Policy at Brookings, will provide introductory remarks and moderate the panel. Following the discussion, the panelists will take audience questions.
This event launches the Center for Middle East Policy’s 12th annual Saban Forum, a dialogue on U.S.-Israeli relations.
Join the conversation via #Saban15.
Published on Wed, Dec 2, 2015 - 3:34PM