Less than a quarter in poll say Biden has shown ‘too much support’ for Israel since Hamas attack

Just under a quarter of Americans reached in a survey released Thursday said President Biden has shown “too much support” for Israel in the wake of the Hamas attack that started a war now in its second week. 

The CBS News/YouGov poll found 24 percent of Americans said that Biden’s recent “statements and actions” have shown “too much support” for Israel. By comparison, 44 percent said the president has shown “the right amount of support” for Israel, and 32 percent said he hasn’t “shown enough.”

Pollsters also found a majority of respondents — 57 percent — said the U.S. should “send humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.” Most of those surveyed — 52 percent — also said the U.S. should not “send weapons and supplies to Israel.”

Likewise, 56 percent said they disapproved of how Biden is dealing with the Israel-Hamas conflict; 44 percent said they approved.

The president traveled to Israel on Wednesday in a show of support for the American ally, and reiterated that support in an Oval Office address late Thursday.

“American leadership is what holds the world together. America’s alliances are what keep us safe,” Biden said in the speech. “American values are what make us a partner that other nations want to work with. To put all of that at risk if we walk away from Ukraine and turn our backs on Israel. It’s just not worth it.”

Biden also said “the United States remains committed to the Palestinians’ right to dignity and self determination. The actions of Hamas terrorists don’t take that right away.” 

Approximately 1,400 Israelis have been killed in the war, according to the Israeli government, mostly in a Hamas surprise attack that began the conflict. The Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry says responding Israeli strikes have killed nearly 3,800 Palestinians.

The poll of 1,878 adults was conducted Oct. 16-19. It has a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points.