Will Americans vote with their feet and stop Foreign Aid to the Middle East except Israel or will there be a move by the White House to establish a "level playing field" stop all aid to the region? The following article discusses how Americans feel about the region and foreign aid.
What is your opinion?
Scott Rasmussen - rasmussenreports.com, February 28th, 2011
Egypt has long been the second largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid, but despite its apparent turn toward democracy and similar ongoing moves in neighboring countries, most Americans want to end that aid to all Arab nations in the Middle East. Just over half favor continuing foreign aid to the number one recipient, Israel.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that only 20% of American Adults think the United States should continue providing foreign aid to Arab countries in the Middle East. Fifty-eight percent (58%) say that aid should come to an end. Twenty-one percent (21%) are not sure.
Fifty-one percent (51%) of Americans, on the other hand, favor continued foreign aid to Israel. One-in-three adults (32%) oppose further aid for Israel, while another 17% are undecided about it.
New Republican Senator Rand Paul has called for an end to all foreign aid, including the $3 billion the United States gives annually to Israel, as part of a package of deep spending cuts he is proposing. But given Israel’s strong bipartisan support in Congress, Paul’s proposal isn’t likely to gain ground. Egypt has been receiving slightly less than $2 billion in aid annually, with several other Arab countries in the region getting a smattering of millions.
Sixty-seven percent (67%) of Americans think the United States should stay out of the ongoing political unrest in Libya and other Arab nations, but only 29% think a change of government in any of these countries will be good for America. In fact, most Americans now fear that the political unrest roiling these countries may get this country into another big war.
Higher-income Americans are more supportive of aid to Israel than those who earn less. They also view aid to Arab nations in the Middle East more favorably, but a majority of those in virtually all demographic categories think aid to these countries should come to an end.
Seventy-six percent (76%) of Republicans believe America should end all foreign aid to Arab countries in the Middle East, a view shared by just a plurality (48%) of Democrats and 50% of adults not affiliated with either major party.
Similarly, 61% of Republicans support a continuation of foreign aid to Israel. But Democrats and unaffiliated agree by a much narrower 46% to 34% margin.
Americans have consistently said in surveys for years that Israel is one of the top U.S. allies. The Jewish state is also one of only five countries worldwide that most Americans think the United States should help defend militarily if it is attacked.
By contrast, just 40% of Americans regard Egypt as an ally of the United States, and it’s by far the Arab country that Americans have the highest opinion of.
Just 24% think the change of government in Egypt will be good for Israel.
The United States has often used foreign aid to encourage friendships in the Middle East, even though those countries lack democratically elected governments, but 60% of Americans agree it is more important for the United States to be allies with any country that best protects our own national security than it is to be allies only with countries that have freely elected governments.
Still, 76% of voters also feel it’s generally good for America when dictators in other countries are replaced with leaders selected in free and fair elections.
With President Obama maintaining a relatively low profile as political unrest spreads through the Arab world, the number of voters who rate his handling of national security issues as poor has hit its highest level since the beginning of December.
Most voters don’t think the president’s proposed $3.7 trillion federal budget includes enough spending cuts, and despite House Republican plans to cut substantially more, a plurality of voters don’t think the GOP goes far enough either.
The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on February 21-22, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC.
What is your opinion?
Most Americans Favor End To U.S. Foreign Aid To Middle East, Except Israel
Scott Rasmussen - rasmussenreports.com, February 28th, 2011
Egypt has long been the second largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid, but despite its apparent turn toward democracy and similar ongoing moves in neighboring countries, most Americans want to end that aid to all Arab nations in the Middle East. Just over half favor continuing foreign aid to the number one recipient, Israel.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey shows that only 20% of American Adults think the United States should continue providing foreign aid to Arab countries in the Middle East. Fifty-eight percent (58%) say that aid should come to an end. Twenty-one percent (21%) are not sure.
Fifty-one percent (51%) of Americans, on the other hand, favor continued foreign aid to Israel. One-in-three adults (32%) oppose further aid for Israel, while another 17% are undecided about it.
New Republican Senator Rand Paul has called for an end to all foreign aid, including the $3 billion the United States gives annually to Israel, as part of a package of deep spending cuts he is proposing. But given Israel’s strong bipartisan support in Congress, Paul’s proposal isn’t likely to gain ground. Egypt has been receiving slightly less than $2 billion in aid annually, with several other Arab countries in the region getting a smattering of millions.
Sixty-seven percent (67%) of Americans think the United States should stay out of the ongoing political unrest in Libya and other Arab nations, but only 29% think a change of government in any of these countries will be good for America. In fact, most Americans now fear that the political unrest roiling these countries may get this country into another big war.
Higher-income Americans are more supportive of aid to Israel than those who earn less. They also view aid to Arab nations in the Middle East more favorably, but a majority of those in virtually all demographic categories think aid to these countries should come to an end.
Seventy-six percent (76%) of Republicans believe America should end all foreign aid to Arab countries in the Middle East, a view shared by just a plurality (48%) of Democrats and 50% of adults not affiliated with either major party.
Similarly, 61% of Republicans support a continuation of foreign aid to Israel. But Democrats and unaffiliated agree by a much narrower 46% to 34% margin.
Americans have consistently said in surveys for years that Israel is one of the top U.S. allies. The Jewish state is also one of only five countries worldwide that most Americans think the United States should help defend militarily if it is attacked.
By contrast, just 40% of Americans regard Egypt as an ally of the United States, and it’s by far the Arab country that Americans have the highest opinion of.
Just 24% think the change of government in Egypt will be good for Israel.
The United States has often used foreign aid to encourage friendships in the Middle East, even though those countries lack democratically elected governments, but 60% of Americans agree it is more important for the United States to be allies with any country that best protects our own national security than it is to be allies only with countries that have freely elected governments.
Still, 76% of voters also feel it’s generally good for America when dictators in other countries are replaced with leaders selected in free and fair elections.
With President Obama maintaining a relatively low profile as political unrest spreads through the Arab world, the number of voters who rate his handling of national security issues as poor has hit its highest level since the beginning of December.
Most voters don’t think the president’s proposed $3.7 trillion federal budget includes enough spending cuts, and despite House Republican plans to cut substantially more, a plurality of voters don’t think the GOP goes far enough either.
The survey of 1,000 American Adults was conducted on February 21-22, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC.
Good question. Besides the problem of energy dependence upon a questionable region for oil, there is also the problem of a faulty and weak foreign policy that often criticizes our friends like Israel and complements our enemies.
ReplyDeletePersonally, if countries do not allow freedom of speech and religion, then not one dollar should be given for foreign aid.
I would much prefer we continue our aid to Isreal considering that they seem to be the only beacon of hope in the middle east. I agree with Rod with the freedom of speech. The Islamic nations in my opinion read much too literally and need to catch their religeon up with the times.
ReplyDelete-Sean