Nearly three-quarters of American voters support an Israeli military action in Rafah to eliminate Hamas and end the war, according to a Harvard-Harris poll.
72% of respondents said that they support an IDF operation in Rafah, while 80% support Israel in the war in general. 28% said that “back off now and allow Hamas to continue running Gaza" rather than go into Rafah.
Two-thirds of respondents said that Israel is attempting to avoid causing civilian casualties in Gaza, while one-third said that Israel is not attempting to avoid civilian casualties.
68% of respondents said that they oppose the imposition of a permanent ceasefire without the return of all of the hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza. 32% do support such a ceasefire that leaves hostages in Hamas's hands.
The poll was released as university and college campuses across the US have been rocked by large anti-Israel protests over the last two weeks. On April 15, protesters blocked roads and bridges in multiple cities throughout the US.
The survey demonstrates that support for Israel remains high in the US despite the protests and the spread of pro-Hamas propaganda.
Previous surveys have shown that support for Israel is lowest and support for the Hamas terrorist organization is highest among young Americans in their late teens or early 20s.
The Biden Administration has been attempting to pressure or otherwise convince Israel not to embark on an operation in Rafah to eliminate the last of Hamas's battalions and free the remaining hostages.