UMD Co-sponsors Venture Surveying Middle East Scholars

The University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll and George Washington University's Project on Middle East Political Science (POMEPS) are sponsoring a new initiative to probe the assessments of scholars on the Middle East.

The Middle East Scholar Barometer identified 1,293 scholars, many of whom are members of the American Political Science Association and the Middle East Studies Association, for its first survey, with results released today.

Led by Shibley Telhami, Anwar Sadat Professor for Peace and Development and director of the Critical Issues Poll, and nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and Marc Lynch, professor of political science and international affairs at George Washington University and POMEPS director, the survey found that of the 521 respondents, 52% said a two-state solution between the Israelis and Palestinians is no longer possible, while 42% find it unlikely within the next 10 years.

Seventy-five percent of the experts surveyed Feb. 8-15 also said that the return of the United States to the Iran nuclear agreement would reduce the likelihood of Iran securing nuclear weapons.

“The results are indeed illuminating and should add value to our public discourse on those issues as well as to policy decision making,” said Telhami, who indicated that surveys will be conducted about twice a year.

For more analysis, see the op/ed he and Lynch co-wrote for The Washington Post.