A search of the Time and CNN websites found no reports on this poll, which has been widely under-reported in the corporate media.

This poll does not stand alone. According to a recent Gallup Poll, greater than seven in ten Americans say they would support the Bush administration applying economic and diplomatic pressure on Israel to try to reach a peaceful solution in the Middle East. Similar percentages also support applying pressure on the Palestinian Authority. This same poll found that Americans believe that both sides are to blame for the current violence in the Middle East. (See http://www.gallup.com/poll/releases/pr020328.asp.)

A March ABC News poll reported strong support for Israeli withdrawal from the territories it occupied in the 1967 Arab-Israel War in exchange for the Arab nations recognizing Israel's right to exist. Fifty-one percent favor this plan, compared to 23% who oppose it. (See http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/major_proposals_detail.cfm?issue_type=ame ricas_global_role&list=21.)

Perhaps most importantly, last September, the Los Angeles Times reported that 74% of the American people think that the United States should not take either side in the Middle East. Only 16% believed that the United States should take Israel's side. And a two-to-one majority supports recognizing Palestine as an independent nation. (See http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/major_proposals_detail.cfm?issue_type=ame ricas_global_role&list=23.)

Given these sentiments, Inlet.org has published the following petition on its website.

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STOP TAKING SIDES: PETITION FOR PEACE IN PALESTINE

Dear Mr. President:

Israel deserves to exist in peace and the Palestinian people deserve their own country.

The Palestinian Authority and the Arab nations have recognized the right of Israel to exist.

But Israel has not pledged to withdraw completely from the West Bank and Gaza to allow the formation of a Palestinian state on those lands.

International law forbids Israel from keeping land that it seized during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War, including the West Bank and Gaza.

The United States has thrown its weight behind Israel in the Middle East conflict, rather than adopting a balanced approach.

Israel is the largest recipient of United States foreign aid, including more than two billion dollars a year in military aid.

Israel, with the fourth largest military in the world, can protect itself against military conquest.

Israel could trade land for peace by agreeing to withdraw completely from the West Bank and Gaza and recognizing a Palestinian state on those lands.

Therefore, I urge you to:

1) Work as a neutral mediator in the conflict and stop taking sides with Israel.

2) Apply strong pressure on both sides to reject terrorism.

3) Tell Israel that the United States will stop sending military aid to Israel unless Israel withdraws completely from the West Bank and Gaza.

4) Offer substantial aid to assist economic development for both countries once peace is established.

5) Support sending international monitors or peacekeepers to the region.

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Readers can sign this petition by visiting: http://actionstudio.org/?go=18

At this critical point, all of us need to do what we can to reverse the increasingly militaristic United States foreign policy.

Wade Hudson is co-editor of Inlet.org (http://inlet.org), a progressive portal. He can be reached at: whudson@igc.org

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