Vast majority of Americans back Israel over Hamas: Poll
An overwhelming majority of Americans support Israel in its war against Hamas over the militant group running the Gaza Strip, according to a new poll.
The Harvard CAPS-Harris survey shared with The Hill showed 80 percent of registered voters said they support Israel more in the war, while 20 percent said they support Hamas more. That is about in line with the poll’s findings from last month, when 79 percent indicated they support Israel more.
In this month’s poll, older age groups were much more likely to be supportive of Israel than younger respondents, though a clear majority of each age group supported Israel more than Hamas. More than 90 percent of those 65 years old and older and of those 55 to 64 said they support Israel more, while 85 percent of those 45 to 54 and three-quarters of those 35 to 44 said the same.
Support for Israel was the lowest among the youngest age groups. Pollsters found 64 percent of those 25 to 34 and 57 percent of those 18 to 24 said they support Israel more, while the rest of those age groups said they support Hamas more.
The poll’s results come as numerous pro-Palestinian protests have popped up on college campuses throughout the country. Students have set up encampments to protest for days at schools including Columbia and New York University.
Universities have responded to the protests with a range of tactics including negotiations, suspensions and arrests to try to end the encampments taking place on school property. Protesters have called for their universities to end their business relationships with companies that they say are contributing to Israel’s war, which has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Palestinians.
Mark Penn, the co-director of the poll, said support for Israel “has not budged” despite the “campus unrest.” He said the student protests appear out of step with broader public attitudes on Israel and noted that the poll showed Americans largely want a cease-fire in the war but only after Hamas is removed from power and the hostages they seized during its Oct. 7 attack on Israel are returned.
The poll found 61 percent of respondents support a cease-fire only after those conditions are met, while 39 percent support an unconditional cease-fire. A stark divide exists based on age group in responses to this question.
An overwhelming majority of those 55 to 64 and those 65 and older support a cease-fire only after Hamas is gone and the hostages are returned. More narrow majorities of those 35 to 44 and those 45 to 54 also support that, while 59 percent of 25-to-34-year-olds and 67 percent of 18-to-24-year-olds support an unconditional ceasefire.
At the same time, the poll also found support for Israel to continue its military operation into the city of Rafah, where many Palestinian civilians have fled to after Israel’s offensive began. Israeli leaders have said that Hamas militants are in the city.
More than 70 percent of respondents said Israel should move forward with the operation, including 57 percent of those 18 to 24 and increasing percentages with each older age group.
Pollsters noted how the framing of a question matters, as 70 percent said they support a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, but 68 percent said they would oppose one if that meant Hamas could continue to hold hostages and run Gaza.
The Harvard CAPS-Harris Poll survey was conducted April 24 to 25 and surveyed 1,961 registered voters. It is a collaboration of the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University and the Harris Poll.
The survey is an online sample drawn from the Harris Panel and weighted to reflect known demographics. The margin of error is 2 points.
Date: | |
Tag: | Israel |
Filter
-
PGA Championship betting: Bettors love Scottie Scheffler's chances of back-to-back majors
Scheffler is the pre-tournament favorite and is getting the most bets and money to win at Valhalla.Yahoo Sports - Sports
More from The Hill
-
Biden has become detached from economic reality
The vast majority of Americans recognize Bidenomics as a disaster for the nation.The Hill - Politics - Joe Biden -
Oversight delays Garland contempt hearing for members to attend Trump trial
The House Oversight Committee shuffled its schedule, bumping a hearing to hold Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress so some of its members could instead attend former President Trump's hush money trial. The panel was set to meet early Thursday, ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump -
Eric Adams says comment about migrants being ‘excellent swimmers’ based on past conversations with them
Talking about the city’s shortage of lifeguards, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said migrants could fill the openings because they are “excellent swimmers.” He later noted that his comment was based on past conversations with migrants. Adams was ...The Hill - Politics -
Dean Phillips says RFK Jr. should be included in Trump, Biden debates
Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) praised former President Trump and President Biden's decision to debate one another but said he thinks independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. should also be included. Asked by Fox News’s Bret Baier what he makes ...The Hill - Politics - Joe Biden -
Johnson defends decision to attend Trump trial, calling the case ‘an atrocity’
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) defended his decision to attend former President Trump’s hush money trial in New York earlier this week, calling the case an “atrocity.” In an interview with NBC News, Johnson said he rode in the car with the former ...The Hill - Politics - Donald Trump