Professor Shibley Telhami (University of Maryland) and Professor Marc Lynch (George Washington University), co-directors of the Middle East Scholar Barometer, published an article with the Brookings Institution about perceptions of the war in Israel and Gaza, its aims, and the Biden administration's handling of the war. Some key takeaways are:
- As the Biden administration is touting the prospect of a two-state solution after the Gaza war, few scholars (7%) believe that it is possible and probable in the next 10 years.
- Most scholars surveyed believe that the war is likely to result in new large-scale displacement of Palestinians out of the West Bank and/or Gaza.
- About a third of the scholars described Israeli actions in Gaza to constitute genocide with another 41% saying it is 'major war crimes akin to genocide'.
- Respondents see dark Israeli motives in Gaza, with a majority saying Israel aims to make Gaza uninhabitable in order to force Palestinians out of the territory.
- Respondents hold very critical views of the Biden administration's handling of the war, with over three-quarters saying it would have negative implications for US interests in the Middle East, US standing in the world, and advancing peace in Israel/Palestine.
More information about the Middle East Scholar Barometer can be found at: https://criticalissues.umd.edu/middle-east-scholar-barometer
