So who is blame for this dismal poll result?
A majority of Americans support Israel and blame Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA) for the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, according to a new poll commissioned by The Israel Project.
Americans blame the PA for the current conflict in Gaza (56 percent to 18 percent) and “Hamas leaders who control Gaza” for the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza (66 percent to 17 percent), the Public Opinion Strategies and Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research poll of registered voters revealed.
Nearly half of Americans say they have seen, read or heard “a lot” about the military conflict in Gaza Strip, and sided with Israel’s anti-terror efforts over the PA by a 57 percent to 8 percent margin. The figures are virtually unchanged from pre-Gaza War polling in November 2008 (57 percent to 6 percent).
“Americans accept Israel’s justification for acting in Gaza because they accept Israel’s stated obligation to defend the safety of its citizens and the understanding that no country would allow rockets to fall on its citizens without taking action,” said Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research Dr. Stanley Greenberg.
The American public has been shielded from the realities in the Middle East for too long. For example, how many actually know that Hamas has consistently offered to negotiate with Israel? Tell people what Israel’s occupation actually means for Palestinians and the true effect of Israel’s war against Gaza and opinions will start to shift.