The survey found a clear divide between Democrats and Republicans, as well as overwhelming support for the ceasefire deal
January 20, 2025 16:14
ByJC Reporter, Jewish News Syndicate
Almost a quarter of Americans say they support Hamas over Israel over the Gaza War, according to a Harvard CAPS/Harris poll published over the weekend.
The firm surveyed a representative sample of 2,650 registered voters on January 15-16 and recorded a result of 21 per cent in favour of the militant group, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by the US State Department.
Asked "Do you support more Israel or more Hamas?" in the war, 75 per cent of Democrats backed the Jewish state, while 25 per cent expressed more approval for the Palestinian terror group.
Among Republican voters, support for Israel rose to 81 per cent, but still left 19 per cent picking Hamas.
Support for Hamas polled the highest among the 25 to 34 age group, where almost a third said they favored it over Israel.
The study also found that a majority of the American public believes that negotiations by the incoming Trump administration led to the Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
Fifty-seven per cent of respondents said that Hamas "agreed to the deal because of negotiations" led by Trump's team, compared to 43 per cent who thought that outgoing US President Joe Biden was due the credit.
Eighty-four per cent of Republicans said Trump was responsible, compared to just 25 per cent of Democrat supporters. Among independent voters, 60 per cent credited Trump and 40 per cent Biden.
The vast majority of respondents, 82 percent, said they backed "the ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas which aims to end the war in Gaza and release hostages”.
Support for the deal was higher among Democrats, 87 per cent of whom said they backed the deal, with Republicans narrowly behind on 81 per cent.
On Sunday evening, President-elect Trump hailed the ceasefire agreement as a "first step toward lasting peace in the Middle East”.
Speaking at a rally hours before being inaugurated for a second time, he called the agreement that freed hostages Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari "epic."
"This week, we achieved an epic ceasefire agreement as a first step toward lasting peace in the Middle East. And this agreement could only have happened as a result of our historic victory in November," he told attendees at the Capitol One Arena in Washington, DC. "I'm glad to report that the first hostages have just been released," he added.
"Our incoming administration has achieved all of this in the Middle East in less than three months without being president. We've achieved more without being president than [the Biden administration] achieved in four years with being president," Trump said, thanking incoming Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
"He's an amazing guy. I said: ‘I got to get myself a negotiator. We have to get a good negotiator’. A lot of guys are knowledgeable, but they can't negotiate. They don't have the personality or whatever," said Trump. "And Steve does, Steve's a great negotiator, very successful guy, but he's our new special envoy to the Middle East for helping reach this great breakthrough, and [it] really couldn't have been done without Steve."