Most Americans think Palestinians must recognize Israel’s right to exist, Haaretz, June 23, 2009, by Haaretz service and Natasha Mozgovaya. This is old news but it is important and we wanted to republish it in the public interest:

Eighty-one percent of American voters agree that Palestinian leaders must recognize Israel’s right to exist as part of a Middle East peace agreement, according to a new survey by U.S. polling company Rasmussen Reports published Tuesday.

The national telephone survey found that just seven percent disagree that recognition of Israel should be a requirement for peace, while 12 percent are not sure.

But only 27 percent believe it is somewhat likely that Palestinian leaders will agree to recognize Israel’s right to exist, the poll found.

There is less support from American voters for requiring Israel to accept the creation of a Palestinian state. Fifty-seven percent of voters say Israel should be required to do so as part of a regional peace agreement, and 20 percent oppose such a requirement.

Forty-eight percent of respondents to the Rasmussen poll said U.S. President Barack Obama’s Middle Eastern policy is about right, but 35% said he is not supportive enough of Israel and 10% said he is too supportive.

Obama has called on Israel and the Palestinians to acknowledge each other’s existence, while also pushing Israel to freeze settlement construction in the West Bank.

Following Obama’s June 4 speech to the Muslim world in Cairo, 32% of American voters now think that relationship will improve in the next year, while 28% believe it will get worse, according to the poll.

Forty-nine percent of respondents said the United States should help Israel if it decides to attack Iran over the latter’s nuclear weapon facilities.

Commentary: Israel and Palestine recognizing each other’s right to exist as part of a regional peace settlement seems to us to be a no brainer. The problem is that, de facto, there are two Palestines. De facto, Gaza is in the control of Hamas and Hamas still calls for the destruction of Israel. This must change if there is to be any hope for peace. Equally, Israel must give up any ambition it has to attack Iran over that nation’s nuclear ambitions, which is a real and probably a growing threat in the region. Also equally, Israel really need to lift it’s terribly oppressive blockade of Gaza in favor of a more humane and reasonable stance. Pray, if you will, that these two nations and peoples might quit their hateful ways, that Israel might give up it’s blockade of the Gaza strip, and that peace might reign in a region soaked in the blood of two generations of its people. May God have mercy on the suffering people of this region.

We are “in good hands” when it comes to President Obama’s even-handed policy in the region. For the first time, pressure is being applied to Israel to stop it’s destruction of Palestinian housing and to reign in the growth of its settlements. This seems to us a necessary first step and needed show of good faith on Israel’s part, and we applaud the President for manfully standing up to the Israel lobby in supporting peace in the region on fair and (almost) equal terms. At the same time, Washington needs to make this even clearer to Israel, which remains dependent on our support. Nonetheless, America is and always will be a friend of Israel. It’s just that we need to be a friend to the suffering Palestinian people, as well. ~ Evans Liberal Politics owner Paul Evans.

See 81% Say Palestinians Must Recognize Israel’s Right To Exist As Part of Any Peace Agreement, Rasmussen, June 23, 2009, by Rasmussen Reports.

See Letters: Hamas must recognize Israel’s right to exist, Mass Live, June 20, 2010, by "The Republican Editorials"

Although it is probably propoganda, Palwatch.org shows that Israel has some basis for it’s anti-Palestinian paranoia: see Denying Israel’s right to exist PA depicts a world without Israel, Palwatch.org, no date given.

On the other side of the coin, see On “Israel’s Right to Exist”, IslamOnline.net, January 10, 2008, by John Whitbeck, International lawyer.

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