Poll Finds Lackluster Desire To Arm, Supply Israel – Even Among GOP

Bad news for the Israel lobby and the warfare state: On the same evening that President Biden delivered an address from the Oval Office to build support for sending $100 billion in weapons and other aid to Israel and Ukraine, CBS News published a poll showing surprisingly lackluster American support for arming and supplying Israel — even among Republicans. 

By a spread of 52% to 48%, a majority of all Americans oppose giving weapons and supplies to Israel. While that’s close to an even split, Americans are very much united in seeing the latest developments as a cause for concern: 85% are concerned about a wider war in the Middle East, while 79% are concerned that the Hamas-Israel conflict could lead to terrorism in the United States, according to the CBS News/YouGov poll, which was conducted before, during and after Biden’s Wednesday visit to Israel. 

When it comes to the Biden’s response to the Israel-Hamas war, Americans are split. 44% say Biden has shown the right amount of support for Israel, while 32% say he hasn’t shown enough support and 24% say he’s given too much support. 

In recent years, the long-standing bipartisan backing of Israel has been cracking, creating a dynamic where Republicans reliably back the Israel government while Democrats increasingly empathize with the Palestinians. However, in the most striking finding of the new poll, a hefty 43% of Republicans say the United States should NOT send weapons and supplies to Israel.  

Among all Americans, the poll found opposition to arming Israel is strongest in the 30- to 44-year-old cohort, with 64% opposing it. Among those under 30, 59% are against it. At the other end of the age spectrum, 64% of those 65 and older want more weapons shipped to the Zionist state.

There isn’t much difference among races: 54% of Hispanics oppose sending weapons and supplies to Israel, compared to 52% of blacks and 51% of whites.

When it comes to humanitarian aid, 76% of Americans say the US government should send it to Israel and 57% say aid should be sent to Palestinians in Gaza. There’s a notable difference across party affiliations, but note even 41% of Republicans support sending humanitarian aid to Gaza:

Looks like the Israeli propaganda machine will be putting in some overtime. Tie yourselves to the masts, lads — Israel’s hasbara machine has already unleashed the IDF sirens: 

When they start posting TikTok dancers, you know you’re been fooled…

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— Pelham (@Resist_05) October 16, 2023