New Sadat Chair Poll on Israeli Attitudes Toward Iran's Nuclear Program

6 March, 2012

The Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development has published a new poll on Israeli attitudes toward Iran's nuclear program. The poll, which addresses a topic at the forefront of worldwide media coverage, was also a central focus in recent discussions between President Barack Obama and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The poll shows that most Israelis (81 percent) would not support an attack on Iran that was not backed by the United States. Dr. Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development, analyzed the poll for Politico. "They don’t support a strike without U.S. backing, a new poll shows, even though they are not fearful of Washington’s retribution if they go against U.S. advice," Dr. Telhami noted. "They appear less influenced by the rhetoric of U.S. politicians competing for their embrace, and contrary to conventional wisdom, the Obama administration’s reluctance to support a military strike against Iran has apparently not affected their preference for Obama as the next president. In fact, their views seem to partly reflect the White House’s assessment of the consequences of war and the problems created by military action." The findings go on to explore Israeli opinions on what such an attack would involve, and how deeply it would impact other aspects of their daily life and their national security.

To read the full article on Politico, click HERE. 

To learn more about the Anwar Sadat Chair for Peace and Development, click HERE.

Don't forget to register for the upcoming Sadat Forum: 'America's Stakes in the Middle East". For more information on the Forum, please visit our event page HERE.