50% of American adults now believe that the Israeli military attack went too far (Al Jazeera)
A poll by the Associated Press and the NORC Center found that half of American adults believe that Israel has “gone too far” in its 15-week military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
According to the poll, which was conducted from January 25 to 28, this result is mainly driven by growing dissatisfaction among Republicans and independent politicians.
In general, the poll shows that support for Israel and President Joe Biden’s administration’s handling of the situation is declining slightly in all areas, as the poll revealed that only 31% of American adults support Biden’s handling of the conflict, and this includes only 46% of Democrats, and this is a significant decline. Compared to the support for Biden's approach after the Al-Aqsa Flood operation last October 7.
The poll also shows that 33% of Republicans now say that the Israeli response to the Al-Aqsa Flood operation went too far, a significant increase from 18% among Republicans last November.
52% of independents see the same thing, up from 39%, and 62% of Democrats feel the same way, the same majority as last November.
Overall, the poll found that 50% of American adults now believe that the Israeli military attack on the Gaza Strip went too far, a significant increase from the 40% shown in a similar poll by the Associated Press and the NORC Center conducted last November.
The results of the new poll include more troubling news for President Joe Biden when it comes to support from his political party, and the lines of division in his Democratic base are growing, with some key Democratic blocs that Biden will likely need if he is to win a second term unhappy with his handling of... Conflict.
According to the poll, about 6 in 10 non-white Democrats disapprove of the way Biden is handling the conflict, while about half of white Democrats approve of his approach.
It is notable that about 7 out of 10 Democrats under the age of 45 do not approve of Biden's handling of the conflict. This is the opposite of older Democrats, where nearly 6 in 10 support Biden's approach.
About 7 in 10 Democrats who do not support Biden's handling of the conflict also say that it is very important for the United States to help conduct negotiations for a final ceasefire.
The poll now shows that only 35% of American adults now describe Israel as an “ally” that shares US interests and values, consistent with views held before October 7, after a brief increase in November to 44%.
36% of American adults say that the United States does not provide sufficient support to the Palestinians, a slight increase from the 31% that was last December.
Although about 6 out of 10 Americans describe the recovery of prisoners held by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) as an important American priority, only 3 out of 10 say that it is very important to provide Israel with military aid to fight Hamas.
Source: Al Jazeera + Associated Press