3 in 4 say it’s important to fund military aid to Israel: survey

Nearly three-quarters of Americans believe it is either somewhat or very important for the U.S. government to provide military aid to Israel in its war against Hamas, a survey released Wednesday found.

While a majority of respondents favor the U.S. supporting Israel, the poll found that more than a third of those surveyed think the U.S. should treat Israelis and Palestinians the same.

President Biden is currently visiting Israel, where he delivered a speech promising to ask Congress for an “unprecedented support package” for Israel, as the country seeks to wipe out Hamas in response to a massacre carried out in Israeli border areas earlier this month.

Biden also warned Israel that “rage” is not a strategy, and recalled America’s mistakes in its response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The survey, conducted by CNBC, found that 74 percent of respondents believe the U.S. should help Israel through military funding, 2 points more than the 72 percent who say it’s important for the U.S. government to fund securing the southern border and send Mexico foreign humanitarian aid.

Sixty-one percent said it’s important for the U.S. to fund military for Ukraine in its war against Russia, and 52 percent said the U.S. should send military and economic support to Taiwan.

The CNBC survey compared results to a August 2014 survey conducted by NBC News after the Gaza War. According to the results, support for Israel has grown 5 points since 2014, from 34 percent to 39 percent. Support for Palestine grew 2 points but remains low, at 6 percent.

Still, 36 percent of respondents believe the U.S. should treat Israel and Palestine the same, down from 53 percent in 2014; 19 percent of respondents in 2023 are undecided, up from 9 percent in 2014.

The survey also found that while President Biden moved quickly to condemn the Hamas attacks and show support for Israel, the public still gives him poor reviews for his handling of foreign policy. Only 31 percent of respondents approve, and 60 percent disapprove.

Biden was also scheduled to join a four-way summit of Arab leaders during his visit to the region this week, but that was called off after an explosion at a Gaza Strip hospital killed hundreds. Hamas and Israel have blamed each other for the attack, with Biden indicating Wednesday that Israel was not responsible.

The CNBC All-America Economic Survey was conducted Oct. 11-15 with 1,001 Americans. It has a margin of error of 3.1 percent.