The deadly violence between Israel and Hamas escalated this week, with Israel launching strikes on Hamas leaders in Gaza in response to rocket attacks into Israel.
Though there is a long history of violence in the region, most Muslim Americans do not view Israel’s existence as being incompatible with the rights of the Palestinians. In a 2011 survey of Muslim American attitudes, 62% said that a way can be found for Israel to exist while also addressing the rights and needs of the Palestinian people. These views were virtually unchanged from 2007.
Muslim Americans’ views on this question closely resemble those of the U.S. general public, among whom 67% said in 2007 that a way can be found to enable Israel to exist so that the rights and needs of the Palestinian people are taken care of.
In contrast, majorities or pluralities in most predominantly Muslim nations surveyed by the Pew Global Attitudes Project in 2007 expressed the view that the rights and needs of the Palestinian people cannot be taken care of as long as the state of Israel exists. Read More
