Americans' Support for Israel Aid Slides

The number of Americans who believe the United States should decrease the amount of financial and military support it provides to Israel is rising, according to a poll.

A Redfield & Wilton Strategies survey of 1,500 eligible voters, conducted exclusively for Newsweek on May 1, found that 36 percent believed the U.S. should decrease aid to Israel amid its ongoing war with Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, a rise of 9 points from 27 percent in a previous poll from March.

The latest poll also found that fewer people (30 percent) believe the U.S. should "maintain" the amount of financial and military aid to Israel compared to March (39 percent). Nearly a third (31 percent) of voters think the U.S. is currently providing "too much" support to Israel, more than those who believe the U.S. proves "too little" (24 percent) or the "right amount" (25 percent).

The survey arrives after Congress passed a series of foreign aid bills, which included providing nearly $15 billion in additional military aid to Israel amid the Hamas conflict in the wake of the October 7 attack by the militant group that killed 1,200 Israelis. President Joe Biden has faced scrutiny, including from progressive members of the Democrat Party over his handling of the Israel-Hamas war.

Biden has also faced accusations that is helping support a genocide of the Palestinian people by backing Israel and failing to call for a permanent ceasefire. At least 34,735 Palestinians have been killed and more than 78,100 injured in Gaza during Israel's military attacks since October 7, Reuters reported, citing Gaza's Health Ministry.

The survey also found that 40 percent of voters disapprove of Biden's response to the war in Gaza, including nearly a quarter (24 percent) saying they "strongly disapprove." A total of 29 percent said they approve of how Biden is handling the conflict, giving the president a net approval rating on the issue of -11 points.

Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment.

In an interview with NBC News, World Food Programme Executive Director Cindy McCain said there is "full-blown famine" in northern areas of the Gaza Strip that is "moving its way south."

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who voted against providing more military aid to Israel, recently posted on X, formerly Twitter, that reports of famine show it "not complicated" why people are against the war in Gaza.

"That is why students are protesting. That is why I voted against giving Netanyahu's war machine any more U.S. aid," Sanders wrote.

Elsewhere in the Redfield & Wilton Strategies poll, 45 percent of voters believe that the average $3.3 billion in military aid the U.S. previously gave Israel every year, according to the Council on Foreign Relations, is "too high," compared to just 12 percent who consider the sum "too low" or 25 percent who believe it is "just right."

Biden's handling of the Israel-Hamas conflict is seen as one of the hot topic issues that may affect his reelection hopes as he gears up for a rematch with Donald Trump in November, with progressive, younger, and Muslim voters often criticizing the president's response.

The poll also found that more people believe Trump (42 percent) would be better at handling the Middle East crisis than Biden (33 percent).

The Redfield & Wilton Strategies survey was conducted on May 1 between 1,500 eligible voters. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.53 percent.

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