When it comes to the Israel-Hamas war, Americans have made a clear choice: a significant majority support Israel, not Hamas, while an even larger majority now call antisemitism a “serious” problem, the latest I&I/TIPP Poll reveals.
But a shockingly high 20% of Democrats say they support Hamas in the current conflict, despite reports of blood-curdling barbarism committed against innocent Israeli men, women, and children. Just over half of Democrats say they support Israel.
Amid the backdrop of the Oct. 7 attacks against Israel by the terrorist group Hamas, I&I/TIPP asked Americans this question: “Generally speaking, in the Israel-Hamas conflict, do you side more with Israel or Hamas?” The national online poll of 1,400 adults was taken from Nov. 1-3, with a margin-of-error of +/-2.7 percentage points.
Of those responding, 58% sided with Israel, while just 11% supported Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip on Israel’s southern border. But there was a big unknown, given the polarizing effect the attack by Hamas (which killed 1,400 mostly civilian noncombatants, including women, children, and babies) had on public opinion: 31% “weren’t sure.”
The political split was fairly wide, though all three major political groupings in the U.S. supported Israel by 50% or higher. The results include Democrats (54% Israel support, 20% Hamas support, 26% not sure), Republicans (71% Israel support, 7% Hamas support, 22% not sure), and independents (50% Israel support, 6% Hamas support, 44% not sure).
So while Israel can count on support from all parts of the main political spectrum, it’s clear that some groups are stronger in their support than others. But Republicans are strongest in their support of Israel in the current war.
Who supports Hamas? Data show a dramatic split by age group. This is significant, since college campuses have been roiled for weeks by pro-Hamas and anti-Israeli demonstrations and violence.
Among those 18-24, essentially the college years for most, just 30% expressed support for Israel, while 17% backed Hamas and 53% responded “not sure.” The numbers for those 25-44 were a little higher for both Israel (46%) and Hamas (21%), while considerably lower for “not sure” (33%).
The numbers change dramatically with advancing age.
For those 45-64, 62% support Israel, with just 6% supporting Hamas. “Not sure” was 32%.
Most pro-Israel of all are those over 65. Why? One reason may be that many remember the Six-Day War in 1967, a stunning victory for the tiny country against a coalition of Arab states, followed six years later by a victory in the Yom Kippur war against many of the same nations.
With that as background, the 65-plus crowd supports Israel by 84%, Hamas by just 2%. And only 14% are “not sure.” This is significant for 2024, since voter turnout for the oldest contingent in 2020 was largest at 72%, versus 61% overall.
Given the recent upsurge in antisemitic demonstrations and violence around the world, we then asked a related question: “How serious of a problem is anti-Semitism or prejudice against Jewish people in the United States today?”
The answer was clear.
Among participants, 74% called antisemitism and anti-Jewish prejudice either a “very serious” (47%) or a “somewhat serious” (27%) problem. Another 11% termed it not “very serious,” while 4% described it as “not a problem at all.”
Democrats (82% “serious”, 12% “not serious”) and Republicans (76% “serious”, 16% “not serious”) are fairly close in their responses. Independents are a bit apart, with 66% answering “serious” and 17% “not serious.”
Further insight can be gained by looking at the self-described ideology of the respondents.
Those who call themselves “liberal” answered 83% “serious,” 10% “not serious,” and 7% “not sure” when it came to describing the antisemitism problem, while “conservatives” went 81% “serious,” 13% “not serious,” and 6% not sure. Self-described “moderates” stood at 67% “serious,” 17% “not serious,” and 16% “not sure.”
So, in general, a majority sees antisemitism as a problem, but the strongest sentiment was expressed by conservatives and liberals. Moderates were somewhat less strong and sure in their belief.
These numbers may have major ramifications for 2024 and beyond. Americans were genuinely shocked at the sudden attack on Oct. 7 by Hamas against civilians in Israel, an attack that included well-documented brutality against men, women, children and babies of an extreme sort.
As we noted above, while there is a broad majority of voters who side with Israel in its war with Hamas and that also believe there’s an antisemitism problem, Democrats in particular have a problem uniting the far-left of their party with the more-mainstream elements over support for Israel.
Violent demonstrations by leftist, pro-Palestinian crowds at the White House, on college campuses and elsewhere around the world. Biden’s verbal support for Israel in late October has enraged large numbers of his one-time supporters, leading to a sharp split within his party.
His remarks on Oct. 18 were quite clear:
I come to Israel with a single message: You are not alone. You are not alone. As long as the United States stands — and we will stand forever — we will not let you ever be alone.
Most importantly, the — I know the recent terrorist assault on the people of this nation has left a deep, deep wound.
More than 1,300 innocent Israelis killed, including at least 31 American citizens, by the terrorist group Hamas. Hundreds — hundreds of young people at a music festival of — the festival was for peace — for peace — gunned down as they ran for their lives. Scores of innocents — from infants to elderly grandparents, Israelis and Americans — taken hostage.
Children slaughtered. Babies slaughtered. Entire families massacred. Rape, beheadings, bodies burned alive. Hamas committed atrocities that recall the worst ravages of ISIS, unleashing pure unadulterated evil upon the world.
The concern within the Democratic Party, of course, is that those most angered by Biden’s remarks are the same people who make up the ardently left-activist wing of their party. And they, with their strong support of Hamas, Hezbollah, the PLO, and other Mideast anti-Israel groups organized around hatred of Jews, make up what some call the Democratic Party’s antisemitic wing.
That includes the so-called “Squad” in Congress, who may soon find themselves facing well-financed pro-Israel opponents in the next election.
Biden and the rest of the Democratic Party now face a dilemma: Continue to support Israel, and risk splitting his party, or back off and risk losing long-time pro-Israel supporters. It will not be easy.
I&I/TIPP publishes timely, unique, and informative data each month on topics of public interest. TIPP’s reputation for polling excellence comes from being the most accurate pollster for the past five presidential elections.
Terry Jones is an editor of Issues & Insights. His four decades of journalism experience include serving as national issues editor, economics editor, and editorial page editor for Investor’s Business Daily.
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TIPP Takes
Geopolitics And Geoeconomics
1. Intense Strikes And Communication Down As Israel Says Gaza Strip Cut In Two – BBC
The Israeli military says troops have reached the coastline in the south of Gaza City, effectively dividing the Strip in two. Internet and phone communication are also reportedly down in the territory.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Turkey as he continues his diplomatic tour of the region – and pushes for a pause in the fighting. The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says more than 9,700 people have been killed in the Strip since 7 October.
2. CIA Director Arrives In Israel Amid Raging Conflict: Report – ANI
The visit by William J Burns comes as the U.S. is trying to prod Israel to pursue a more targeted approach to attacking Hamas, allow pauses in the fighting for aid to enter Gaza, and do more to avoid civilian casualties.
Burns, who has extensive experience in the region, visited as key intelligence leaders in Israel have been heavily criticized for failing to detect the attack and the threat from Hamas more broadly.
3. In A Rare Move, U.S. Announces Entry Of Nuclear Submarine Into Middle East – WION
U.S. Central Command on Sunday declared on social media that an Ohio-class submarine entered its area of responsibility even as Secretary of State Antony Blinken tours the region.
Through this move, the U.S. might want to send a clear message to Iranian proxies in the region, who have of late issued threats of a wider conflict in the area if Israel fails to roll back its ongoing assault on Gaza.
4. ‘Enough Is Enough’: 18 Organizations, UN Groups Demand Ceasefire In Joint Statement – Al Arabiya
The heads of 18 UN and non-UN humanitarian organizations have issued a rare joint statement calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Israel and Palestine. “Enough is enough,” the statement said. “This must stop now.”
The letter was signed by the heads of the 18 organizations, known as the Inter-Agency Standing Committee. “This is unacceptable,” the statement said. The joint statement called for the “immediate and unconditional” release of all civilian hostages.
5. Turkey Recalls Ambassador To Israel, Citing Ongoing Civilian Deaths In Gaza – UPI
The Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement the move was made due to the need for consultations “given the unfolding humanitarian tragedy in Gaza caused by the continuing attacks by Israel against civilians, and Israel’s refusal (to accept) a cease-fire.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, meanwhile, announced Saturday he is suspending all talks with Israel because of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the situation in Gaza.
6. Jordan King: Air Force Air-Dropped Urgent Medical Aid On Gaza – AFP
Jordan’s air force air-dropped vital medical supplies to a field hospital in the besieged Gaza Strip, King Abdullah II said.
“This is our duty to aid our brothers and sisters injured in the war on Gaza,” he said, adding: “We will always be there for our Palestinian brethren.”
7. U.S. Will Be ‘Hit Hard’ If It Does Not Implement Ceasefire In Gaza, Warns Iran – Al Arabiya
“Our advice to the Americans is to immediately stop the war and implement a ceasefire; otherwise, you will be hit hard,” the semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted Iran’s defense minister, Mohammad-Reza Ashtiani, as saying.
Iran, a key source of financial and military support for Hamas, considers the U.S. to be “militarily involved” in the conflict.
8. Putin’s Move To Secure Libya Bases Is New Regional Challenge For U.S., European Allies – Bloomberg
Russia is moving to expand its military presence in eastern Libya, a plan that could lead to a naval base, giving it a significant foothold on Europe’s southern doorstep.
A defense accord is being hammered out between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Libya’s eastern military commander Khalifa Haftar following their meeting in Moscow in late September, according to sources.
The threat is being taken “very seriously by the U.S. administration,” said Jonathan Winer, a former U.S. special envoy to Libya.
9. Zelenskyy ‘Not Ready’ For Russia Talks As Ukraine Probes Deadly Strike – AFP
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he was “not ready” for talks with Russia unless its invading troops withdraw, as Kyiv investigated a deadly strike on its soldiers.
Officials from the United States and Europe — Kyiv’s key allies —have suggested holding negotiations to end the grinding 20-month-old conflict, which Zelenskyy denied. The Ukrainian leader conceded that the war was in a “difficult situation” and reiterated his need for more air defenses to end Russia’s control of the sky.
10. Australian PM Sees ‘Promising Signs’ Of Better China Ties – AFP
After years of deep animosity between the two trading partners, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese predicted a “constructive discussion” with China’s leader and lauded recently improved trade ties.
Albanese is the first Australian prime minister to visit China in seven years, and the visit has been seen as a stab at normalization. Beijing effectively put relations in a deep freeze in 2020 to express displeasure over a string of Australian policy decisions.
11. The U.S. Is Quietly Arming Taiwan To The Teeth – BBC
When President Joe Biden recently signed off on a $80m grant to Taiwan for the purchase of American military equipment, China said it “deplores and opposes” what Washington had done.
The $80m is not a loan. It comes from American taxpayers. For the first time in more than 40 years, America is using its own money to send weapons to a place it officially doesn’t recognize. This is happening under a program called Foreign Military Finance (FMF).
12. China Faces Persistent Deflation Challenges As Economic Fragility Persists – WION
Economists surveyed by Bloomberg anticipate that the data released on Thursday will likely reveal a return to deflation in China’s consumer prices for October.
Furthermore, it is expected that producer prices will have declined for the 13th consecutive month, reinforcing the presence of deflationary forces in the economy. Despite the People’s Bank of China’s August statement predicting a price rebound, the current data suggests that the outlook might have been overly optimistic.
13. Mammoth Chinese Chip Project Raises Another $5bn – Nikkei Asia
A mammoth semiconductor factory project led by China’s government in the east of the country has raised another 39 billion yuan ($5.3 billion) as the world’s No. 2 economy ramps up its drive to boost local supply of the key technology.
Changxin Xinqiao Storage Technology, a semiconductor company based in Hefei in Anhui province that will operate the 150 billion yuan factory, recently raised the latest funding, according to credit information by a domestic research firm, Qichacha.
14. Foxconn Sees Decline In Sales Amid Chinese Investigation: Report – WION
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., the world’s largest iPhone assembler, better known as Foxconn, has experienced a 4.6 percent decline in its October sales, raising concerns about the company’s future amidst a Chinese investigation.
Despite this setback, the company has maintained a “significant growth outlook” for the December quarter, traditionally its busiest period due to the year-end iPhone shipments.
15. China Urges Myanmar To ‘Cooperate’ On Border Stability – AFP
A senior Chinese diplomat has urged Myanmar to “cooperate” in maintaining stability on their shared border, Beijing said, after armed groups fighting the junta seized a strategic trading outpost.
Recent attacks launched by an alliance of Myanmar ethnic minority groups in the northeast Shan state represent the biggest military challenge faced by the junta since it seized power in 2021, analysts have said.
16. Oil Prices Tick Upwards After Saudi Arabia, Russia Stick To Voluntary Output Cuts – Reuters
Oil prices increased as top exporters Saudi Arabia and Russia said they would stick to extra voluntary oil output cuts until the end of the year, keeping supply tight, while investors watched out for tougher U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil.
ING analysts said in a note that the oil market will be in surplus in the first quarter of next year, “which may be enough to convince the Saudis and Russians to continue with cuts.”
17. Saudi Arabia’s Non-Oil Business Activity Surges To Four-Month High On New Orders – WION
Saudi Arabia’s non-oil business sector has seen a strong growth trend, as indicated by a recent survey, revealing that the Kingdom’s economy has been on an upward trajectory for a second consecutive month in October.
In October, the employment subindex reached a nine-year high of 54.5. This surge is in line with the government’s plan of Vision 2030, an ambitious economic diversification plan that aims to reduce the nation’s dependence on oil and create a more diverse and sustainable economy.
18. U.S., S Korea, Japan Band Together To Launch Consultative Group To Counter N Korea’s Cyber Threats – WION
In a coordinated effort to combat North Korean cyber activities, the United States, South Korea, and Japan have agreed to establish a high-level consultative group.
These activities have been identified as a significant source of funding for North Korea’s illicit weapons programs, as reported by South Korea’s presidential office, as reported by Reuters.
The consultative group will facilitate quarterly meetings among the three countries, as per the presidential office’s statement.
19. Musk To Integrate xAI Startup With Social Media Platform X – D.W.
The move comes some six months after the tech billionaire was one of the signatories of a call to suspend the development of artificial intelligence for six months. However, his AI company, xAI, was founded around the same time.
xAI released its first AI model, a bot named Grok, after making it available to all X Premium+ subscribers on Friday.
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Republished with permission from TIPP Insights
