Half of US adults say Israel’s 15-week-old military campaign in Gaza has “gone too far”, a finding driven mainly by growing disapproval among Republicans and political independents, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
Broadly, the poll shows support for Israel and the Biden administration’s handling of the situation ebbing slightly further across the board. The poll shows 31 per cent of US adults approve of Biden’s handling of the conflict, including just 46 per cent of Democrats. That’s as an earlier spike in support for Israel following the Hamas attacks on October 7 sags.
Melissa Morales, a 36-year-old political independent in Runnemede, New Jersey, says she finds herself watching videos and news from Gaza daily. Images of Palestinian children wounded, orphaned or unhoused by the fighting in Gaza make her mind go to her own 3-year-old boy.
“I just can’t even imagine, like, my son roaming the streets, wanting to be safe. Wanting his mom. Or just wanting someone to get him,” she said. Israel’s offensive has gone too far, Morales says, and so has the Biden administration’s support for it. Biden has supported Israel militarily and diplomatically since the first hours after the Hamas militant group’s October 7 attacks, which Israel says killed 1,200 people.
The US has become increasingly isolated in its support of Israel as the Palestinian death toll rises past 27,000, with two-thirds of the victims women and children. The Biden administration says it is pressing Israel to reduce its killing of civilians and allow in more humanitarian aid.
“These kids ... they’re needing the end of this,” Morales said. “It’s such an unfair fight.” John Milor, a cybersecurity expert in Clovis, California, who describes himself as a Republican-voting independent, says he remains “100 per cent” behind Israel.
But Milor notices more young people in his circle speaking out against Israel. A visit to a family friend led to Milor being aghast when the man’s stepson denounced Israelis as “warmongers.”
