EVENT/RELEASING POLL Tomorrow -- THURSDAY 10 DEC -- on ISRAEL ATTITUDES TOWARDS OBAMA, NATIONAL SECURITY THREATS and NEGOTIATIONS

Dear SALON Friends and Colleagues:

It has become somewhat an urban legend that President Obama’s approval rating in Israel is 4%. The other parts of that narrative is that the US is perceived so suspiciously under its current leadership that there is no space in the Israel national appetite for negotiations with Palestinians. Seems that this may not be correct.

In a new poll commissioned by my colleagues in the New America Foundation/Middle East Task Force, results show substantially higher support for Barack Obama than the bleak 4% figure. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues to command strong support from a broad cross section of Israel citizens — certainly higher than Obama — but not dismissive of Obama or the U.S. And there seems to be more space for peace/final status negotiations than other observers have noted.

I am still working through the results — and think that there are nuanced signals in the figures I am reading — which is why we need to discuss them. The picture remains blurry, but not totally bleak — as far as Israel public attitudes go. We are going to discuss this TOMORROW morning, Thursday, 10 December, between 9:30 am and 1:00 pm at the New America Foundation.

IF YOU ARE BUSY OR NOT IN WASHINGTON, FEEL FREE TO WATCH LIVE ON LINE AT THE NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION WEBSITE OR AT www.TheWashingtonNote.com. We would also be happy to EMAIL you the poll results and executive summary. Just zap a note to TOM KUTSCH at Kutsch@newamerica.net.

Participants will include National Security Network Executive Director Heather Hurlburt, Fox News contributor Jim Pinkerton, pollster Jim Gerstein, Israel TV10’s Gil Tamari, New America Foundation Middle East Task Force Directors Amjad Atallah and Daniel Levy, Middle East expert Stephen Cohen, Aspen Institute Director Toni Verstandig, Center for American Progress Senior Fellow Brian Katulis, Brookings Saban Center Fellow Shibley Telhami, Foreign Policy Magazine Executive Editor Susan Glasser and others.

We will be releasing the poll first thing and then discussing the broad implications both in Israel, regionally in the Middle East, and in the US. I hope you can join us.

Please RSVP directly to me. I will be there and look forward to seeing you.

Best regards,

Steve Clemons

Steve Clemons
Director, American Strategy Program, New America Foundation
and publisher, The Washington Note
202-986-2700 202-986-3696 fax
clemons@newamerica.net

The New America Foundation’s American Strategy Program
cordially invites you to a Middle East Task Force conversation

WHAT DO ISRAELIS THINK ABOUT NEGOTIATIONS, THREATS, AND BARACK OBAMA?
Results from a New America Foundation National Survey in Israel

THURSDAY, 10 DECEMBER 2009
9:30 am - 1:00 pm
NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION - 1899 L Street NW, 4th Floor - Washington, DC 20036

Panel I 9:45am to 11:00am
PRESENTATION OF NAF ISRAEL ATTITUDE POLL RESULTS AND RESPONSE'

Jim Gerstein
Founding Partner
Gerstein | Agne Strategic Communications

Gil Tamari
Washington Bureau Chief
Israel TV10

Toni Verstandig
Director, Middle East Programs
The Aspen Institute

moderator
Susan Glasser
Executive Editor, Foreign Policy Magazine

Panel II 11:00am to 12:00pm
THE AMERICAN POLITICAL PORTAL: ANY IMPLICATIONS FROM POLL RESULTS?

Stephen P. Cohen
Author, Beyond America's Grasp: A Century of Failed Diplomacy in the Middle East
Founder and President, Institute for Middle East Peace and Development

James Pinkerton
Contributor, Fox New Channel
Senior Advisor, Hucakbee for President Campaign

Heather Hurlburt
Executive Director, National Security Network
Former Special Assistant and Speech Writer to President Clinton

moderator
Steve Clemons
Director, American Strategy Program
New America Foundation
Publisher, The Washington Note

Panel III 12:00pm to 1:00pm
TAKING STOCK OF CURRENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE REGION AND WHAT ARE THE POLICY OPTIONS GOING FORWARD

Shibley Telhami
Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development
University of Maryland
Non-Resident Fellow, Saban Center
The Brookings Institution

Daniel Levy
Senior Fellow
Co-Director, Middle East Task Force
New America Foundation

Brian Katulis
Senior Fellow
Center for American Progress

moderator
Amjad Atallah
Co-Director, Middle East Task Force
New America Foundation