https://arab.news/zwhen
- Results highlight generation gap, division among US population
LONDON: A recent poll sheds light on public sentiment regarding US President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict, revealing that most Americans oppose his decisions.
According to the New York Times/Siena College poll released on Tuesday, 57 percent of Americans disapprove of Biden’s approach to the conflict, with 33 percent approving and the remainder undecided.
The results highlight the massive divide in opinion among Americans as to the best course of action in the conflict.
The Biden administration has consistently provided robust support to Israel, a stance that has faced criticism as the Israeli military campaign faces challenges amid growing international opposition.
Regarding the course of action, about 44 percent of those polled believe that Israel should halt its military campaign to help reduce the number of civilian casualties, while 39 percent support continuation of the current action.
Concerns about civilian casualties in Gaza are widespread, with 48 percent of all those polled believing that Israel is not taking sufficient precautions to avoid such casualties. Of that number, just under half said they believed the killing of civilians was intentional.
The poll also highlighted a generation gap, with nearly three-quarters of those aged 18 to 29 expressing disapproval of Biden’s handling of the conflict, while showing more sympathy for the Palestinian perspective compared to their older counterparts.
The poll surveyed about 1,000 voters from Dec. 10-14, with a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points.