Israelis more apprehensive, Palestinians more favorable about U.S. role in peace process: poll

Israelis are more apprehensive and Palestinians are more favorable about U.S. role in the Middle East peace process compared to last December after Obama's election, showed the results of a poll sent to Xinhua Thursday.

Following the intensified American diplomatic activity in the region in recent months, 40 percent of Israelis think the U.S. president Barack Obama's policy is more supportive of the Palestinians, only 12 percent think it is more supportive of Israel.

However, 64 percent of Palestinians think that Obama's policy is more supportive of Israel, according to a joint Israeli-Palestinian poll, conducted by the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research in Ramallah.

The latest results of the poll showed that, compared to a similar one conducted in December 2008, in proximity to Obama's election, Israelis are less enthusiastic about American involvement in the region, more worried about the continuation of American support, and less willing to accept American pressure.

While Palestinians see now American involvement somewhat more favorably than in December.

The poll was carried out between August 9 and 15. The Palestinian sample size was 1,270 adults interviewed face-to-face in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip in 127 randomly selected locations, with the margin of error 3 percent.

The Israeli sample includes 600 adult Israelis interviewed by phone and the margin of error is 4.5 percent. ??