Two-thirds of Americans believe the U.S. should publicly support Israel amidst the Israel-Hamas conflict; however, this sentiment reveals broad generational and racial divides, according to a recent NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll.
Support for Israel across parties: The poll found that 65% of Americans believe the U.S. should publicly support Israel.
* Both major political parties reflected a majority agreement, with 77% of Republicans and 69% of Democrats voting in favor of public support for Israel.
* However, independents were less inclined to agree, with only 54% in favor of U.S. support, and a third opting for the U.S. to refrain from intervention.
Racial and Generational Divides: There are significant discrepancies amongst different races and age groups on the stance of publicly supporting Israel.
* Younger generations were less inclined to support public U.S. backing for Israel, with only 48% of Millennials/Generation Z, compared to 63% of Gen X, 83% of Baby Boomers, and 86% of the Silent/Greatest generations.
* According to racial lines, 51% of nonwhites were in favor of public support compared to 72% of whites.
Concerns about regional impact: An overwhelming majority showed concern that the Israel-Hamas conflict could broaden.
* Eight in ten respondents expressed worry that the conflict could trigger a wider issue in the Middle East.
* Notably, 87% of women expressed this worry, compared to 71% men.
The politics: Despite overall support for Israel, President Biden’s strong dealings with Israel haven’t boosted his political standing.
* 52% of respondents disapprove of Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict.
* Specifically, Biden sees a 9% drop in support from his own party on his handling of this issue. His approval rating among independents and those under 45 is also low.
Views on Israel’s response: There were mixed views on whether Israel’s actions were appropriate so far.
* 44% of respondents viewed Israel’s response as being about right.
* However, opinions diverged by group: Democratic men, big city residents, those under 45, and Biden supporters were more likely to deem the response excessive, while white men without college degrees, Republican men, White Evangelical Christians, and Donald Trump supporters were more inclined to see it as insufficient.
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