Majority of US voters support Israel, only support ceasefire if Hamas removed - poll

Mean majority vote on concern for Israel, and antisemitism, was higher among Republican voters than Democrat voters.

 US PRESIDENT Joe Biden meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the annual opening of the UN General Assembly last September. At that point, holding such a meeting at the White House was not even in the cards, the writer notes.  (photo credit: KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS)
US PRESIDENT Joe Biden meets with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the annual opening of the UN General Assembly last September. At that point, holding such a meeting at the White House was not even in the cards, the writer notes.
(photo credit: KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS)

Two-thirds of American voters support a Gaza war ceasefire only if all hostages are released and Hamas is removed from power, says a recent Harvard CAPS/Harris poll.

Republicans voted more strongly for the conditional ceasefire; 23 percentage points higher than Democratic voters.

Overall support for Israel over Hamas was 79%.

Demographically, least supportive were aged 18-24, with 57%  backing Israel over Hamas. The highest degree of support was in the 65+ category with 93%.

Israel-Hamas war

In the survey, 73% said they were paying close attention to the war, 29% of whom said they paid “very close” attention.

 IDF troops operating in Rafah, May 18, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
IDF troops operating in Rafah, May 18, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

In the poll, 78% thought Hamas should not be allowed to run Gaza after the war. Most voters said that Israel, not another Arab country nor the Palestinian Authority, should administer Gaza after Hamas is deposed.

In addition, 74% said Israel must move forward with the operation in Rafah to finish the war with Hamas. Support for the Rafah operation was 22 percentage points higher among Republican voters.

When asked if “President Joe Biden should continue to provide Israel with weapons, even if it enters Rafah, or should he withhold the weapons?” 57% overall said he should; however a majority of Democratic voters said no.

The majority felt that Biden’s policy towards Israel was more influenced by “perceived domestic politics for his re-election and threats from the Democratic base” than by vested interest in a safe Israel.

Regarding Iran, 78% said it was responsible for the Hamas and Hezbollah attacks on Israel, and the majority blamed Tehran, not Israel, for the conflict in the Middle East. In addition,  84% said Iran was a danger to the US, and 80% responded that Tehran should not be allowed nuclear weapons.


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The majority of respondents said they felt there was “a great deal of antisemitism on campuses” in the US with 63% saying Jewish students were not safe on campuses and could not openly wear Jewish symbols.

In addition, 69% said they felt not enough was being done by leaders of higher-education institutions to “prevent antisemitism and hatred of Jews.”

The poll also showed that the public says antisemitism on campus should have repercussions, with 84% declaring that “students and professors who call for violence towards Jews should be suspended” and 83% declaring that students and professors who engage in violent antisemitic protests should be suspended.”

The poll was conducted among 1,600 US voters on May 15-16.