WASHINGTON (AP) Many American voters fear that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could escalate into an all-out regional war, according to a new poll. About half of voters are extremely or very concerned about the possibility of a broader war in the region.
Even if there is concern about the rise in conflict, according to the investigation by AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs ResearchFewer voters, about 4 in 10, fear that the United States will be drawn into a war in the Middle East. This survey was carried out before Israeli strike against military bases in Iran on Friday.
The Middle East conflict has become a major campaign issue as former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris attempt to convince Muslim and Jewish voters in battleground states like Michigan and Pennsylvania. And although Democrats and Republicans also worry about the possibility of an extension of the war, they disagree on who is responsible for its recent escalation and how the United States should respond. get involved in the future.
Partisan division on the level of responsibility of the Israeli government
About 6 in 10 voters believe that the Palestinian militant group Hamas, the Iranian government and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah bear great responsibility for the escalation of the war in the Middle East. About 4 in 10 voters think the Israeli government has a lot of responsibility, and only about 2 in 10 think the U.S. government has a lot of responsibility.
But there is a wide partisan divide over whether the Israeli government bears much responsibility for the escalation of the war. About 6 in 10 Democrats say they do the same as the share of Democrats who say Hamas bears a lot of responsibility, while only about a quarter of Republicans say the Israeli government bears a lot of responsibility.
Voters support sanctions on Iran, but reject sending US troops
Voters largely support economic sanctions against Iran, which could hamper support for its proxy groups, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. A majority, 55%, favors imposing sanctions. They are about evenly divided on whether the United States should provide weapons to the Israeli military, and voters are more likely to oppose sending government funds to help the Israeli military than to support her.
Deploying U.S. troops to aid the Israeli military garners little support among voters, regardless of partisan affiliation. About half of voters oppose deploying U.S. troops to help the Israeli military. Only about 2 in 10 voters favor deploying U.S. troops to help Israel, and a similar share has a neutral view.
Many believe the United States is doing what it can when it comes to the ceasefire.
The United States continues to push for any movement on short-term ceasefire proposalsdespite the disappointments of the past and little expectation of immediate breakthroughs before the elections.
About half of voters think the United States is doing everything it can to push for a ceasefire deal between Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah, while three in ten say it is they could do more. About two in ten voters say the United States should do less.
Republicans are more likely than Democrats to want less U.S. involvement in ceasefire efforts. About three in ten Republicans say the United States should do less, compared to about one in ten Democrats. About 6 in 10 Democrats say the United States is doing what it can, compared with about 4 in 10 Republicans.
Democrats, Republicans and independents are about equally likely to say the United States could do more.
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The survey was conducted among 1,072 adults October 11-14, 2024, using a sample drawn from NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for registered voters is plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.
