Most American voters view Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu favorably and more than two-thirds agree with his government’s rejection of calls for a ceasefire in the war with Hamas.
A Rasmussen Reports survey found that 54% of likely U.S. voters have a favorable impression of Netanyahu, including 28% who view the Israeli leader very favorably. Thirty-one percent (31%) view Netanyahu unfavorably, and another 15% are not sure.
In 2019, 37% had a favorable opinion of the Israeli prime minister.
The research also reveals broad American support for the Jewish state’s war to crush the Hamas terror organization that rules the Gaza Strip, though cracks have formed among younger adults.
The pollster surveyed 995 likely voters from Oct. 31 through Nov. 2, asking for responses to Netanyahu’s statement: “Calls for a ceasefire are calls for Israel to surrender to Hamas, to surrender to terrorism, to surrender to barbarism. That will not happen.”
The results showed 68% agreement, 21% disagreement and 10% unsure. Among supporters, 49% agreed “strongly,” while 10% of those in disagreement did so “strongly.”
Those numbers tracked with a question about the broader history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and which side the respondent embraced. Those sympathizing with Israel totaled 59%, compared to 18% for the Palestinians and 23% undecided.
Tracking with other polling data, Rasmussen found that voters under 40 were nearly three times as likely to sympathize with Palestinians as older groups.
