This House believes Barack Obama is too weak to make peace in the Middle East
Monday April 26 2010
MOTION PASSED
by 58% to 42%
Opinion poll
Doha, Qatar, May 18 2010: Six out of 10 Arabs believe that President Obama is too weak to make peace in the Middle East according to a recent poll commissioned by The Doha Debates.
The results closely mirror the vote at the last Doha Debate, held in Qatar on 26 April, where 58 percent of a mostly-Arab audience reached the same conclusion.
The poll by YouGov surveyed the views of 1,000 respondents in 17 Arab countries.
Sixty-four percent believe that the US president lacks a proper negotiating partner among the Palestinians, whose leaders from Fatah and Hamas remain badly split.
But more than half (58 percent) still believe President Obama is well-intentioned and wants to make peace in the region.
As for his relations with Israel, a sizable majority say he should pressure the Israeli government to halt settlement expansion and should cut off direct and indirect financial aid to reinforce that message.
The survey highlighted the enduring popularity of Bill Clinton in the Arab world, with 36% of respondents saying he had done more than any other US president to bring peace and stability to the region.
Polling dates: 4 10 May 2010
Download the polling data [PDF]
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