Reuters/Ipsos Survey: Israel Hamas War and the 2024 Election
Washington DC, November 15, 2023--New polling from Reuters/Ipsos finds that a plurality of Americans feel that the U.S. should be a neutral mediator in the conflict between Israelis and Hamas in Gaza, a position that has gained popularity in the past month. Still, most Americans say Hamas holds the most responsibility for the current conflict in Israel and Gaza, similar to last month. Two in three Americans agree that Israel should call a ceasefire and try to negotiate. A majority of Americans agree that Israel is doing what any country would do in response to a terror attack and the taking of civilian hostages.
For October 2023 Reuters/Ipsos polling on the Israel-Hamas war, please click here.
Key findings:
- One in three say the U.S. should support Israel (a nine point drop from October 2023 (41%)) when asked about what role the U.S. should play, 39% say the U.S. should be a neutral mediator – up 12 points from October (27%).
- A majority say Hamas is the most responsible for what is happening in the current conflict in Israel and Gaza (51%), similar to October when 49% said the same.
- Most (57%) view Israel favorably, a sven point drop from October (64%). A majority from both political parties view Israel favorably, but Republicans (71%) are more likely to do so than Democrats (57%).
- For comparison, 62% of Americans say they view Ukraine favorably – Democrats (77%) are more likely to say this than Republicans (60%).
- Forty-five percent of Americans say the problems of Ukraine are none of our business and we should not interfere, unchanged from October (44%), and the same number say this about Israel (45%), in October 41% felt that way.
- Americans are split on whether Israel’s response has been excessive (50% agree, 50% disagree), Democrats are more likely to agree (62%) than Republicans (30%) and 76% say that Israel is doing what any country would do in response to a terror attack and taking of civilians hostages – a majority of Democrats (77%) and Republicans (83%) agree here. However, two in three (68%) of respondents also agree with the statement that "Israel should call a ceasefire and try to negotiate."
- Most (77%) say American diplomats should be working to help release the 240 hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
- About half (48%) of Americans say they feel sympathy for the Israeli and Palestinian people, 24% say they have more sympathy for Israeli people and 8% say they have more sympathy for Palestinian people, and 21% say neither.
- Most (68%) say they are worrying at least a little bit about the increase in antisemitism and 59% feel the same about the increase in Islamophobia .
- Two in three Americans (67%) say that the U.S. must support Democratic countries when they are attacked. Democrats (80%) are more likely to agree with this than Republicans (65%).
- Americans are more likely to say the U.S. should provide weapons to Ukraine (41%) than Israel (31%). Democrats drive the support for Ukraine – they are nearly twice as likely to say this as Republicans. Democrats are less supportive of providing weapons to Israel, which drives the decrease in total support.
- The 2024 horserace question is a toss up. Those who support Joe Biden are more likely to say they are voting against Trump than in support of Biden, and those who support Trump are equally likely to say they support him or are voting against Biden.
About the Study
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between November 13-14, 2023, on behalf of Thomson Reuters. For this survey, a sample of 1,006 adults age 18+ from the continental U.S., Alaska, and Hawaii was interviewed online in English. The sample also includes 415 Democrats, 375 Republicans, and 132 independents.
The sample was randomly drawn from Ipsos’ online panel, partner online panel sources, and “river” sampling and does not rely on a population frame in the traditional sense. Ipsos uses fixed sample targets, unique to each study, in drawing a sample. After a sample has been obtained from the Ipsos panel, Ipsos calibrates respondent characteristics to be representative of the U.S. Population using standard procedures such as raking-ratio adjustments. The source of these population targets is U.S. Census 2022 American Community Survey data. The sample drawn for this study reflects fixed sample targets on demographics. Post hoc weights were made to the population characteristics on gender, age, race/ethnicity, region, education and political party affiliation.
Statistical margins of error are not applicable to online non-probability polls. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including but not limited to coverage error and measurement error. Where figures do not sum to 100, this is due to the effects of rounding. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points for all respondents. Ipsos calculates a design effect (DEFF) for each study based on the variation of the weights, following the formula of Kish (1965). This study had a credibility interval adjusted for design effect of the following (n=1,003, DEFF=1.5, adjusted Confidence Interval=+/-5.3 percentage points).
The poll also has a credibility interval of plus or minus 5.9 percentage points for Democrats, plus or minus 6.2 percentage points for Republicans, and plus or minus 10.4 percentage points for independents.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Chris Jackson.
Senior Vice President, U.S.
Public Affairs
Annaleise Azevedo Lohr
Director, U.S.
Public Affairs
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