Polls & Research
Archive Search
Americans Support Israeli Actions in Gaza
- Many adults in the United States agree with the way the Israeli government is dealing with the abduction of a soldier, according to a poll by Public Opinion Strategies and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research for The Israel Project. 52 per cent of respondents say Israel should increase the pressure on the Palestinians through military action.
When assessing the Middle East conflict, 39 per cent of respondents think the U.S., should take Israel's side, five per cent express a preference for the Palestinians, and 43 per cent believe Washington should be neutral.
In January, Hamas won the Palestinian Legislative Council election, securing 74 of the 112 seats at stake. Ismail Haniyeh officially took over as prime minister on Mar. 28. The Israeli government believes Hamas is directly responsible for the deaths of 377 citizens in a variety of attacks, which include dozens of suicide bombings.
On Jun. 28, Israel launched a military operation in response to a joint raid carried out by Palestinian militants on a military post outside of the Gaza Strip, in which two Israeli soldiers were killed, and one more, Gilad Shalit, was captured.
On Jul. 10, Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert ruled out any discussions with the Hamas-led government, saying, "I will not release prisoners to trade for Gilad Shalit. I don't negotiate with Hamas, I did not negotiate with Hamas and I will not negotiate with Hamas."
On Jul. 11, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said Shalit would be treated like a prisoner of war, adding, "Israel and America, which talked too much about this terrorism in past are the worst, severest and ugliest examples of terrorism. The American administration shoulders the responsibility for what is happening on the land of Palestine. Israel is violating international law, but the world is only worried about the soldier."
Mashaal also blamed the Israeli government for the collapse of mediation efforts initiated by Egypt, Qatar and the European Union (EU), saying, "The process hit a snag over Israel's insistence on the release of the Israeli soldier and its refusal to release Palestinian prisoners."
Polling Data
Suppose for a moment that the Palestinians who are holding the Israeli soldier do not release him. Which one of the following actions do you believe Israel should take?
Increase the pressure on the Palestinians | 52% |
Give in to the Palestinian demands by releasing | 17% |
Not sure | 25% |
Refused | 6% |
In the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, do you think the United States should take Israel's side or the Palestinians' side?
Israel's side | 39% |
Neither side | 43% |
The Palestinian's side | 5% |
Not sure | 10% |
Refused | 2% |
Source: Public Opinion Strategies / Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research / The Israel Project
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 800 likely American voters, conducted from Jul. 6 to Jul. 9, 2006. Margin of error is 3.5 per cent.