Support for Israeli military campaign in Gaza ticks up in US: Gallup

Support for Israel’s military action against militant group Hamas in Gaza increased modestly in a poll released Wednesday.

In the Gallup poll, 42 percent of Americans said they approve of Israel’s military action in Gaza, while 48 percent said they disapprove. That gap has narrowed significantly since March, when 36 percent of Americans approved and 55 percent disapproved.

In the polling firm’s first survey about the war — conducted in November — more Americans approved (50 percent) than disapproved (45 percent) of Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 surprise attack that killed more than 1,100 Israelis and led to more than 240 being taken captive.

The poll was conducted after Israel began to expand its military operation into Rafah in southern Gaza. The move sparked global criticism and deepened tensions between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Biden.

Prospects of a potential hostage and cease-fire deal have also dimmed, Gallup noted in its analysis.

The increase in American support in June for Israel’s military action extends across political groups. Republicans saw the most notable increase in support for Israel’s military campaign, the survey shows, rising to 76 percent — the highest level since before the war began.

In March, only 64 percent of Republicans approved of the military action. In November, 71 percent approved, per the survey.

A similar, but less stark, trend exists among Democrats’ and independents’ approval of Israel’s military action. In the most recent poll, 23 percent of Democrats and 34 percent of independents said they support Israel’s military action in Gaza — a 5-point increase in approval from both groups since March.

In the November poll, approval was higher among these groups — with 47 percent of independents and 36 percent of Democrats approving of Israel’s military efforts at the time.

The Gallup poll was conducted from June 3-23 and included 1,005 U.S. adults. The margin of error was 4 percentage points.