IMRA
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 unaffiliateds agree by a much narrower 46% to 34% margin.
Most Americans Favor End To U.S. Foreign Aid To Middle East, Except Israel Friday, February 25, 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.
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.
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 unaffiliateds 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.
If the US and Russia would not have supplied the arms, others would have like Britain, France, Germany, India, Pakistan or even Israel.
Your views rarely fit the facts.
Since Beck is a supporter of Israel, just like the US, and copiously documents practically all his facts before connecting the dots, anyone who tries to dismiss, demonize and misrepresent him and the US has to be on the same side as Hamas, including moles on Jewish forums.
Without modern weapons they could fight with homemade bows and arrows, sling shots or just throwing rocks at ea other.
Lets see How many years was America tied up in a proxy war in Nam? How many Years was Russia tied down in a semi proxy war in Afghanistan?
Three middle East major wars between proxy states of America and Russia. Haven’t touched on wars in Central and South America.
And they all fought those wars with arms mainly supplied by America and Russia. Wars very very profitable business for the suppliers.
You have a very simplistic and literal view not only of history but it seems everything.
That’s what happens when you get your information from the likes of Glenn Beck?
Poppycock. The US is still the world’s largest manufacturer by far:
http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2009/10/us-still-worlds-largest-manufacturer.html
Poppycock. Arms, like guns, do not make war. People make war. During the long Cold War, both sides were heavily armed, yet there was no war.
If Russia and America would embargo all weapons to the ME, there would be a de facto, peace.
Since selling weapons is not going to end then it is clear that peace is not the real objective of the arms merchants.
It seems as though expensive weapons systems are the only manufacturing going on anymore in the US. If we can’t sell them to the Arabs and Israelis so they can kill each other, what are we to do? We are a nation of bankers, financial advisors and lawyers — oh, and don’t forget community activists and government employees. We don’t produce anything of value. What this country seems to need, is a few good wars.
Maintaining “aid” to Israel as it stands now is nothing to brag about. How about making aid to Israel less contingent on spending that money in the US? We could reduce aid to Israel considerably if Israel didn’t have to spend most of it on military hardware they neither need nor can apply to any real benefit. We give them super-duper missile sheilds that have yet to work, but when they want practical ordinance, we get really stingy and fussy about passing it out.
I have to agree though, no more aid to Muslim countries and that goes especially for Pakistan. Pakistan is really pushing its luck these days with its bogus trial of a US contractor.