Most Americans, including 80 percent of Democrats and 41% of Republicans, think the United States should recognize Palestinian statehood. This is a sign that US President Donald Trump’s opposition to the idea may be out of step so says the outcome of a Reuters/Ipso’s poll.
The six-day poll, which closed on Monday revealed that 59% of respondents backed US’ recognition of a Palestinian state; while 33% opposed it with the rest unsure or failed to answer the question.
About half of Trump’s Republicans, precisely 53 percent opposed doing so, while 41 percent of Republicans said they would support the US recognizing a Palestinian state.
A growing number of countries including US allies, namely Britain, Canada, France and Australia have formally recognized Palestinian statehood in recent weeks, drawing condemnation from Israel.
The Israel-Hamas war, launched by the Palestinian terrorist organization in October 7, 2023 has so far witnessed the death of not less than 1,200 people, mostly civilians who were murdered with another 251 people taken hostage. This has left a vast swaths of Palestinian neighborhoods in Gaza demolished.
Some 60% of poll respondents said Israel’s response in Gaza was excessive, compared to 32% who disagreed. Trump, who returned to the White House in January, has largely backed Israel in the war until his brokered ceasefire this month, raising hopes that lasting peace could be in the horizon.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll gave signs the US public was ready to give Trump credit should his plan work. Some 51% of the poll respondents agreed with a statement that Trump “deserves significant credit” if peace efforts are successful, compared with 42% who disagreed.
While only one in 20 Democrats approved Trump’s overall performance as president, one in four said he should get significant credit if the peace holds.
Success on that front appears far from certain.
Hamas is also still holding 13 bodies of hostages, which it was supposed to have returned as part of the deal, but claims it cannot provide them because they are buried under rubble.
Meanwhile, still remaining unresolved are the key questions of Hamas disarming, further Israeli troops pullbacks and future governance of the Strip remain.
Trump’s approval rating on foreign policy appeared to be on a modest upswing, rising to 38% in the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, compared to 33% in a poll conducted earlier this month just ahead of the ceasefire deal. The latest rating is Trump’s highest since July.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online and gathered responses from 4,385 people throughout the US. It had a margin error of 2 percent points.
Source: Reuters/Times of Israel.
