Poll: Americans pessimistic about Middle East peace

Americans remain very pessimistic about the prospects of peace in the Middle East, a new Gallup poll finds.

Just 32% of respondents believe there will ever be peace between Israel and Arab nations, the second lowest response since Gallup started asking the question in 1994.

At the same time, a majority of respondents favor a Palestinian state–51% support it, 29% oppose it. A “two-state solution” is a cornerstone of the administrations Middle East policy, though many in Israel, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, remain skeptical.

The poll also found that Americans have a much better opinion of Egypt, where Obama spoke today, than other nations in the region. 59% of Americans have a favorable view of Egypt, comparable to Israel’s 63% approval rating. No other Arab country receives more than about 30% support.

Overall, 55% of respondents approve of the way Obama is handling “the situation in the Middle East.”