Americans back Israeli ground assault – and US assistance for hostage rescue

Majority of Americans support US forces to assist in Gaza Strip hostage rescue, see Israeli ground assault as justified.

By The Washington Free Beacon

An overwhelming majority of American voters—73 percent—support deploying Marines to rescue Americans held hostage by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, a Washington Free Beacon poll found.

The poll also found high levels of support for Israel’s retaliation against Hamas and for American aid to longtime ally Israel. Seventy-one percent say an Israeli ground assault in the Gaza Strip is justified, while 51 percent of voters support providing Israel with “arms, weapons, and financial support.” Sixty-nine percent support the imposition of economic sanctions on any state that aids or harbors Hamas terrorists.

Just 23 percent say the United States should “pressure Israel to make peace.”

While the Free Beacon poll shows that a bipartisan majority of voters back Israel in its war against Hamas, voters are not supportive of President Joe Biden’s response to the war: Just 38 percent approve of the way Biden is handling the war, compared with 44 percent who disapprove.

The poll also found that voters have also soured on Biden’s and former president Barack Obama’s approaches to Iran, an issue on which Biden is 21 points underwater. Fifty-nine percent believe the Biden administration’s decision to release $6 billion in oil profits to the Iranian government “helped lead to the attack on Israel.”

The Free Beacon poll was conducted by TargetPoint Consulting and surveyed 1,000 registered voters on Oct. 20.

In addition to its findings on Israel, the poll spells trouble for Vice President Kamala Harris as she looks to retain her place as Biden’s successor.

Seventy-one percent of voters—including more than half of Democrats—say Harris becoming president would make them “terrified,” “worried,” or “anxious,” according to the poll. Just 28 percent said a Harris presidency would make them “happy” or “excited.”