Digital Library
Americans' Views of the Israel-Hamas War
Topic:
Antisemitism & Antizionism, Israel Literacy, Jewish Diaspora & Interfaith Relations
Principal Investigators:
Not listed
Study Date:
2024
Source:
Pew Research Center
Key Findings:
Responsibility for the Conflict
A majority of Americans (65%) believe Hamas bears a lot of responsibility for the ongoing conflict, compared to only 35% who say the Israeli government is largely responsible.
Smaller shares of Americans attribute significant responsibility to the people of Palestine (20%) or Israel (13%).
Partisan and Age Differences
Both Republicans (73%) and Democrats (62%) agree that Hamas bears a lot of responsibility for the conflict. However, Democrats (50%) are much more likely than Republicans (21%) to hold the Israeli government responsible.
Among younger Americans (ages 18-29), 46% believe Hamas is mainly responsible, whereas older age groups (60%+) tend to attribute more responsibility to Hamas.
Concerns Over Violence in the U.S.
Nearly half of Americans (48%) are very concerned about increasing violence against Jewish people in the U.S. as a result of the war. Both Democrats and Republicans express equal concern (49% vs. 48%).
A major divide exists: 53% of Democrats are extremely concerned about violence against Muslims, while only 22% of Republicans share this concern. Republicans show less concern (46%) about violence against Muslims.
Biden Administration's Response
Only 35% of Americans approve of President Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas war, while 41% disapprove and 24% are unsure. There is a notable partisan divide: 51% of Republicans disapprove, while 44% of Democrats approve.
Young adults (under age 30) are especially dissatisfied, with just 19% approving and 46% disapproving.
About 25% of Americans believe Biden is striking the right balance between Israelis and Palestinians, while 21% feel he is favoring Israelis too much, and 16% think he is favoring Palestinians too much.
Opinions on Israel’s Military Operations
A third of Americans are unsure about Israel's military approach. However, 27% feel Israel is going too far, while 25% think its actions are appropriate. 45% of Democrats believe Israel is going too far, compared to just 12% of Republicans. Younger Americans are also more likely to feel Israel is being too aggressive.
Prospects for Peace
About 52% of Americans believe a peaceful, two-state solution is possible in the future, with 62% of Democrats supporting this view compared to only 43% of Republicans.
Public Engagement
26% of Americans are following the war very closely, while 37% are somewhat engaged. Older adults (50+) are more likely to follow the conflict closely, with 35% doing so, compared to just 18% of those under 50.
Attention and Opinion
People who have been following the war closely are more likely to approve of the Biden administration's response, with both Democrats and Republicans who are highly engaged offering more positive feedback than those less engaged.
Methodology:
Pew Research Center conducted this study to better understand Americans’ views of the current war between Israel and Hamas. For this analysis, we surveyed 5,203 adults from Nov. 27 to Dec. 3, 2023. Everyone who took part in this survey is a member of the Center’s American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories.