A new poll found that half of Americans think Israel has gone “too far,” prompting more Republicans to question its response to Hamas’ attack.
Over 1,000 Israelis were killed by Hamas militants on October 7.
……Since the first attack, Israel has launched a ground invasion that it claims is meant to take out Hamas leaders and compel them to release the more than 100 Israelis that the extremist organization is holding hostage.
However, critics have expressed concern over the deaths of Gaza civilians due to Israel’s attack.
As global leaders increase pressure on Israeli authorities to reduce the number of Palestinian civilian deaths as the conflict continues, over 25,000 Palestinians have reportedly died in the conflict, sparking protests, boycotts, and calls for a ceasefire in the United States.
Israel was warned Friday by new polling showing more Americans, including Republicans, are critical of Israel’s military actions after the attack.
From January 25 to 29, 1,152 Americans were asked if “the military response from Israel in the Gaza Strip has gone too far, been about right, or not gone far enough” by the AP-NORC.
50 percent said Israel’s response has gone too far, up from 40 percent in November 2023.
Republicans played a major role in that change, but Democrats continued to be more inclined to believe that the response was excessive.
Just 18% of respondents said they thought the same thing in November. That percentage increased to 33% by January, representing a 15% shift.
Republicans are generally seen as being extremely sympathetic to Israel, especially in the wake of Hamas’ attack, so the poll should be taken seriously by the Middle Eastern country.
…….For many years, both parties have supported Israel in the United States, but Republicans have made an effort to position themselves as being more pro-Israel than Democrats.
Despite the fact that the majority of Democratic politicians, including President Joe Biden, continue to firmly support Israel, some Democratic congressmen have called for an end to hostilities between Israel and Hamas due to concerns about human rights in Gaza.
In response to violence in the West Bank on Thursday, Biden issued an executive order imposing sanctions on certain Israelis, demonstrating his growing willingness to defy Israeli leaders on a number of issues.
Republicans launched an attack on Democrats after the October 7 attack, accusing them of being critical of Israel’s actions and have pledged to supporting greater aid to Israel.
Republicans continue to support Israel, according to the poll, with 24% of respondents saying they have “not gone far enough,” down from 32% in November.
Just 9% of Democrats, up from 7% in November, felt Israel hadn’t gone far enough.