Polling: Muslim-Americans say Hamas justified; Americans behind Israel right to self-defense

New polling from Cygnal reveals perspectives among Americans over the recent Hamas attacks on Israel and broader Jewish-Muslim relations in the aftermath of the violence.

The poll, which included an oversample of Jewish and Muslim Americans, registered the impact of recent events including Iran’s involvement and President Biden’s visit to Israel.

Cygnal President Brent Buchanan said these factors have pushed the conflict beyond crucial inflection points, potentially fueling further unrest domestically.

“Our latest national poll on the war between Israel and the Hamas terrorists reveal some interesting splits among Americans as well as reinforce some common divides we’ve previously seen in Jewish-Muslim relations,” Buchanan said.

“Our latest data shows that while the conflicts between Israel and the Palestinian people are not new to the American people, we have entered an equivalent to the post-September 11th era and the sentiment among our citizens from this point forward will largely be guided by this sad and dark moment in history.”

Strikingly, the poll reveals similar unfavorable ratings for President Biden and the leader of Hamas among Americans, with Muslims holding a more favorable view of the Hamas leader and the Palestinian Authority compared to Jews and other Americans.

Comparisons between Hamas and other terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda, the Taliban, and ISIS show 60% of Americans view them as roughly equivalent, with one-third considering Hamas to be worse.

Muslim-Americans diverge, with a tendency to view Hamas as less severe than the other groups. While a majority acknowledge Israel’s right to self-defense, most oppose a potential Israeli invasion of Gaza and believe Hamas’s attacks on Israel were justified.

On U.S. support for Israel, a majority of Americans agree on standing firmly with Israel, providing financial aid, and holding Iran accountable for Hamas’s actions against Israel.
Americans are divided on whether the U.S. military should directly support Israel and on prioritizing support for Israel over Ukraine.

However, the poll suggests that Americans generally view these as separate issues.

“With a majority of the American people believing that anti-semitism in the U.S. is on the rise, including 80% of Jewish-Americans and 30% of Muslim-Americans, the connection to Ukraine financial and military support is simply not sticking in the minds of most Americans,” Buchanan said.

“Our data clearly articulates this point and indicates lawmakers would be wise to tackle each issue on their own merits instead of conflating the complexities of these conflicts within the legislative process.”

Buchanan asserts the American public possesses clear perspectives on these issues despite their complexity.

Grayson Everett is the state and political editor for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @Grayson270