According to a new CNN poll, 63 percent of Americans think it was a bad idea for Republicans to invite Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress without first consulting the White House. Even Republicans are only barely on board. That’s no surprise, really: it was just a dumb idea on everyone’s part. The only thing that took me a little aback was adding up the numbers and learning that fully 96 percent of Americans have an opinion on this matter in the first place. That seems unlikely. But another question in the CNN poll did surprise me:
Americans overall believe the U.S. should stay out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with 66% in the new poll advocating the U.S. remain neutral. Of those who do support picking a side, the majority, 29%, back Israel, while only 2% support Palestine.
Even Republicans, typically seen as the party offering the strongest defense of Israel, are split on whether the U.S. should officially support Israel in the conflict. Forty-nine percent support backing the nation, while 47% say the U.S. should stay out of it.
Have I just not been paying attention? I certainly understand why someone might have given up entirely on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and decided it’s best for us to just stay out of it, but I’m startled that this has become such a widely held view. Have previous polls showed the same thing? Or is this something that’s just developed over the past few years?
