American Views of the Mideast Conflict

Congress’s overwhelming backing of Israel’s use of force in the West Bank is reflective of the politics of Washington, but it runs counter to the tone of American public opinion about the crisis in the Middle East. Americans are and consistently have been more sympathetic to Israelis than to the Palestinians, and that feeling was reinforced by the attacks on Sept. 11 and the suicide bombings in Israel this spring. But average Americans see shades of gray in the Middle East conflict,… Complete story