Mehdi Hasan at Zeteo: Despite President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s impassioned denials, and the self-censorship of the New York Times, almost four in 10 likely voters and more than half of all Democrats believe Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza, according to a new poll of 1,265 U.S. likely voters from Zeteo and Data For Progress, conducted from April 26 to 29.
Seven months after the Oct. 7 attacks, and as the Israeli military prepares for a full-scale invasion of Rafah, our poll shows that American voters are largely divided on whether Israel’s actions in Gaza so far constitute a genocide, with 39% saying it is and 38% saying it isn’t. Among Democrats, however, there is a clear majority, 56%, who opt for the G-word.
There is also a generational and ethnic split among voters: a majority of under-45s (55%), as well as pluralities of Black (44%) and Latino (48%) voters, think it’s a genocide.
Despite the Israeli government’s refusal to agree to a hostage deal earlier this week, our survey reveals that 70% of voters support a permanent ceasefire and de-escalation of violence in Gaza – the highest percentage since Data for Progress began tracking this in October. Among Democrats, that number reaches a whopping 83%, while for independents it is 65%. Even among Republicans, a clear majority, 56%, say they back a permanent ceasefire.
There is little support among likely voters for Israel’s military strategy – or for increasing American aid to Israel. A majority of voters, 53%, believe Israel’s military actions in Gaza have been ineffective in freeing the Israeli hostages.
More than one in three voters (37%) support decreasing U.S. funding for military aid and weapons for Israel, compared to less than one in five (18%) who back increasing that funding. A plurality of voters also oppose the recent decision by Congress to provide $4 billion to replenish Israel’s missile defense systems, 46% to 40%.
A majority, 54%, even support suspending all U.S. arms sales to Israel for as long as Israel blocks U.S. humanitarian aid going into Gaza…
