New poll shows strong Democratic voter support for US sanctions on Israel

WASHINGTON

A new poll released Friday found that a majority of voters in US Democratic Party primaries support imposing sanctions on Israel.

The survey, done by YouGov, a UK-based international polling firm, for the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU) Policy Project, a Washington-based advocacy group promoting Palestinian rights, and Gen-Z for Change, a youth-led progressive advocacy organization, polled over 1,200 likely Democratic primary voters.

It found that 65% of respondents favor sanctions on Israel, 72% believe Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, and 75% oppose renewing the US memorandum of understanding that provides annual weapons funding to Israel.

Asked about specific measures, 76% supported banning credit extensions through Israeli bonds, 75% backed restricting imports of Israeli-made weapons and cybersecurity software, and 62% supported prohibiting entry into the US for Israeli officials and soldiers.

“As we all witness the ongoing genocide being committed by Israel against Palestinians with our tax dollars, Democratic voters are saying clearly the time has come for comprehensive accountability measures against Israel,” Margaret DeReus, executive director of the IMEU Policy Project, said in a statement.

Generational party divide

Rashida Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman to serve in the US House of Representatives, also shared a statement from IMEU saying that sanctions and a complete arms embargo are “necessary to end the genocide and apartheid in Palestine.”

“World leaders must impose economic sanctions and a complete arms embargo immediately,” she wrote.

The poll comes amid growing dissent among Democrats in Congress, where a majority of Senate Democrats voted in late July to block arms sales to Israel.

The Democratic Party has long supported Israel, in large part, but in the face of growing oppression of Palestinians and a new generation of Democrats, the party – and especially its younger voters – have grown increasingly critical of Israel and its policies of occupation and blockades.

Last week, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed a gathering of hand-picked social media influencers, urging them to help “fight back” against Israel’s worsening image among the American public.

The Israeli army has killed over 66,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave all but uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of disease.

Last November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.