WASHINGTON -- Nearly three-quarters of Americans oppose additional
U.S. aid to achieve a peace treaty between Israel and Syria, a poll reports.
In a poll commissioned by the Washington-based Jewish Institute for
National Security Affairs, 72 percent oppose any Middle East agreement that
would include U.S. financial or military support. Fifty-four percent of
those polled strongly oppose such an agreement.
Twenty-seven percent said they support or strongly support a U.S.
financial and military role in a peace agreement.
The poll said a majority of Americans oppose the sending of U.S. troops
to the Golan Heights to monitor a peace treaty between Israel and Syria.
The survey said that 42 percent asserted that they are less likely to
vote to reelect their senator or congressman. Twenty-one percent said they
are more likely to reelect their member of Congress if votes to spend U.S.
funds and commit U.S. troops to help a peace treaty.
The survey polled 800 registered voters on Jan. 10-11 and has a margin
error of 3.5 percent.
Most of those polled -- 59 percent -- said they prefer President Bill
Clinton to spend the remaining year in office focusing on domestic rather
than foreign policy issues. Twenty-three percent of those polled believe the
U.S. priority should be on focusing on relations with China and Russia. A
second priority is the development of an anti-missile defense system.
In third place on the priority of those polled was the resolution of the
Arab-Israeli conflict. Nineteen percent said the issue should be a U.S.
priority.
Still, interest in the Middle East peace process remains high. The poll
said 47 percent of those polled are following the negotiations closely.
