Sixty-seven percent of Americans of all political affiliations want the U.S. to join the international call for a permanent ceasefire, according to a Data for Progress poll.
Christmas Eve ceasefire vigil outside the White House on Dec. 24, 2023. (Elvert Barnes, Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0)
In the latest sign that the Biden administration’s continued defense and support of Israel’s assault on Gaza leaves it representing a shrinking minority of Americans, a new poll out Tuesday found that 67 percent of Americans of all political affiliations want the United States to join the international call for a permanent ceasefire.
That’s up six points from progressive think tank Data for Progress’s last poll, taken in November.
Support for a ceasefire among Democratic voters remains strong, with 77 percent saying U.S. President Joe Biden should demand a permanent cessation of hostilities and a de-escalation in violence. Sixty-nine percent of Independents said the same, up from 61 percent in December, as well as 56 percent of Republicans, up from 49 percent.
NEW POLL: Voters continue to support the U.S. calling for a permanent ceasefire and de-escalation of violence in Gaza.
This includes 77% of Democrats, 69% of Independents, and 56% of Republicans.https://t.co/g5LXpjLqrz pic.twitter.com/JUsuiuHJRW
— Data for Progress (@DataProgress) February 27, 2024
Both Democrats and Independents were far more likely to disagree with the idea that the U.S. should wait until Hamas is defeated to call for a ceasefire.
Since October, Israel has killed at least 29,878 Palestinians, including more than 11,500 children. A near-total blockade on humanitarian aid has pushed about a quarter of the enclave’s population to “the edge of famine,” according to U.N. humanitarian affairs chief Ramesh Rajasingham.
Biden said Monday that he is hopeful for a ceasefire “by next Monday,” but current talks between Hamas and Israel, which are being mediated by Qatar, are reportedly about a temporary cessation in violence.
In an interview on Late Night With Seth Meyers, the president also reiterated his belief that “were there no Israel, there’s not a Jew in the world that’d be safe,” suggesting continued support for the Israeli government and drawing backlash from progressives on social media.
Biden needs to stop saying, "were there no Israel, there's not a Jew in the world that'd be safe." Jews expect their own leaders and their own country to keep them safe. No American's safety should be outsourced to, or contingent upon, a foreign country. https://t.co/U81oPWkENS
— Brandon Friedman (@BFriedmanDC) February 27, 2024
In the latest Data for Progress poll, large majorities of voters also supported various actions the U.S. could take to condition aid to Israel, including guaranteeing Palestinians’ right to return to their homes in Gaza (71 percent), committing to peace talks for a two-state solution (68 percent), and pledging to stop building settlements in the West Bank (63 percent).
Democratic leaders and the corporate press have continued to characterize the issue of the war in Gaza as “divisive” despite polls consistently showing that a majority of Americans and Democrats support a cease-fire.
This framing is wrong.
Not a single poll shows less than 70% of democratic voters support a ceasefire.
Democratic voters are not divided.
The division is between the voters and those elected officials who are choosing to represent AIPAC over their constituents. https://t.co/7XPSMbW5OP
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) February 23, 2024
“Not a single poll shows less than 70 percent of Democratic voters support a ceasefire,” said former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner last week after Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called the issue divisive. “Democratic voters are not divided.”
Julia Conley is a staff writer for Common Dreams.
This article is from Common Dreams.
Cease Fire NOW!!!