As the conflict in Gaza rages on, Americans say they are three times more likely to side with Israel than the Palestinians, according to a new poll from The Wall Street Journal and NBC News.
The poll found 43 percent of voters support Israel, while just 14 percent sympathize with the Palestinians. However, another 43 percent say they are not sure who to side with in the most recent month-long conflict in Gaza.
{mosads}When comparing Israel to Hamas, a terrorist organization that is operating in Gaza, 54 percent of voters say they sympathize with Israel, compared with just 7 percent who support Hamas, according to the poll.
The poll was conducted between July 28 and 31, as United Nations officials blamed Israeli forces for a strike on a school in Gaza that killed at least 20 people, including many children, who were taking shelter at the school.
That was the sixth such Israeli strike on a Gaza school, but so far the most devastating, according to news reports.
Israel has criticized Hamas for hiding weapons in schools and for using civilians as human shields.
The Obama administration has repeatedly offered support for Israel’s right to defend itself but has criticized attacks on civilians.
White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett on Sunday said the administration “can’t condone” such attacks.
“This is why the cease-fire is so important,” Jarrett told CBS’s “Face the Nation.”
“It’s a devastating situation. Israel absolutely has the right to defend itself, and we are Israel’s staunchest ally. But you also can’t condone the killing of all of these innocent children,” she said.