A new poll reveals deep partisan divisions among American voters regarding responsibility for the escalation of the Middle East conflict, with about half expressing serious concerns about potential regional war. The survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows varying levels of support for US involvement in the region.
The poll, conducted between Oct. 11-14, 2024, found that while approximately half of voters are "extremely" or "very" worried about a broader regional conflict, only about 4 in 10 express significant concern about potential US military involvement. The survey was completed before Israel's strike on Iranian military installations on Friday.
As former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris compete for Muslim and Jewish voters in crucial swing states like Michigan and Pennsylvania, the Middle East situation has emerged as a key campaign issue.
The survey revealed that about 6 in 10 voters attribute "a lot" of responsibility for the war's escalation to Hamas, Iran's government, and Hezbollah. However, partisan differences emerge regarding Israel's role, with approximately 6 in 10 Democrats saying the Israeli government bears "a lot" of responsibility, compared to only about one-quarter of Republicans sharing this view.
Regarding US policy options, voters show strong support (55%) for economic sanctions against Iran, which could impact its support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza. However, they remain divided on providing weapons to Israel's military, with more opposing than supporting direct government funding for Israel's military operations.
The poll indicates minimal backing for US troop deployment, with about half of voters opposing such action. Only about 2 in 10 voters support sending US troops to assist Israel, with a similar proportion remaining neutral.
On cease-fire efforts, approximately half of voters believe the US is doing "about as much as it can" to facilitate agreements between Israel, Hamas, and Hezbollah. About 3 in 10 voters think more could be done, while roughly 2 in 10 suggest less involvement.
The partisan divide extends to cease-fire involvement, with about 3 in 10 Republicans favoring reduced US engagement, compared to approximately 1 in 10 Democrats. About 6 in 10 Democrats believe current US efforts are sufficient, versus roughly 4 in 10 Republicans.
The poll surveyed 1,072 adults using NORC's probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, designed to represent the US population. For registered voters, the margin of sampling error is plus or minus 4.2 percentage points.
