Muslim Americans See Balanced Solution to Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

On the question of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, most Muslims in the US (61%) say that a way can be found for Israel to exist so that the rights and needs of Palestinians are met — a view that closely resembles that expressed by the U.S. public as a whole, and in sharp contrast to the views of Muslims in other parts of the world. Only 16% say that the rights and needs of Palestinians cannot be taken care of as long as Israel exists. The view that Israel can exist in a way that addresses Palestinians’ rights is more common among well-educated Muslims in the United States: Nearly three-in-four college graduates express this view, compared with 51% of those with only a high school education or less. Native-born and foreign-born Muslims hold similar opinions on this issue, but recently arrived Muslim immigrants are somewhat less optimistic about finding a way for Palestine and Israel to coexist peacefully than are immigrants who have been in the U.S. for a longer period of time (57% vs. 71%). Muslims who came from Arab countries are significantly more skeptical about the Israel/Palestinian situation than are immigrants from elsewhere: Nearly a third (32%) of Muslim Americans who are first- or second-generation immigrants from the Arab region say that the rights of Palestinians cannot be taken care of as long as Israel exists.Read More