Poll Shows Israel’s Stated Intentions in Lebanon Has Overwhelming American Support

The stated intentions of Israel’s military incursion into Lebanon has the overwhelming support of American public opinion, according to the latest Harris Poll.

By a majority of 76-14, Americans supported the stated objectives of the Israeli military action in Lebanon “to have all non-Lebanese military powers — Israel, Syria and the PLO– leave that country and allow the Lebanese to rule themselves and to control their own country militarily,” the poll said.

However, the majority of Americans — 54-41 percent — oppose sending U.S. troops to Lebanon to act as part of a peacekeeping force in south Lebanon in the 25-mile buffer zone the Israelis want in order to prevent the Palestine Liberation Organization from launching rocket and artillery assaults on northern Israeli settlements.

A 49-48 percent plurality of men favors sending U.S. troops, but women oppose U.S. participation in any peacekeeping force in Lebanon by 61-33 percent. The poll surveyed 1,255 adults throughout the country by telephone June 18-22 and therefore did not have an indication of American reaction to President Reagan’s offer last week to send U.S. troops to Beirut to help evacuate the PLO from the Lebanese capital.

According to the survey, American public opinion toward Israel continued to remain high. American public opinion is 79 percent positive and 13 percent negative in its feelings about Israel, up slightly from 75 to 17 percent last January, the poll said.

The poll found favorable American opinion toward moderate Arab states, as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, while having negative feelings toward Syria, Libya and Iraq. Regarding the PLO, 73 percent consider them as either “not friendly” or “an enemy” of the United States.