72% of Americans say Israel should invade Rafah to finish war against Hamas, despite objections by Biden and Blinken
New Harvard polls sheds new light on Americans’ strongly pro-Israel views
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — U.S. President Joe Biden continues to actively and publicly oppose the idea of Israeli Defense Forces invading Rafah, the southernmost city in the Gaza Strip, to defeat the final four battalions of Hamas terrorists located there.
Biden has called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to send troops into Rafah a “red line” that must not be crossed, saying he fears that Palestinian civilians, who have fled to Rafah to avoid fighting in other parts of Gaza, will suffer greatly. He also said that Israel has not convinced senior U.S. officials that they have an effective plan to avoid civilian casualties.
BLINKEN MEETS WITH NETANYAHU
As ALL ISRAEL NEWS reported, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Israel on Wednesday to meet privately with Netanyahu and stressed that the Biden administration opposes an IDF operation in Rafah, and spoke about the "importance of accelerating and sustaining” the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Blinken told reporters that he has not seen “a clear, credible plan to protect civilians” in Rafah, and that until one is provided, the U.S. “cannot and will not support a major military operation” there.
NETANYAHU VOWS TO INVADE RAFAH DESPITE US AND INTERNATIONAL OBJECTIONS
However, Netanyahu told Blinken that Israel will proceed with a Rafah operation soon if Hamas rejects a hostage deal, or if continues to condition the release of Israeli hostages upon an end to the war.
Netanyahu further stressed that Israel will not agree to conditions regarding a military incursion into Rafah.
AMERICANS SAY THE IDF SHOULD INVADE RAFAH
An interesting new poll conducted and released by Harvard University this week finds that more than 7-in-10 Americans believe that the IDF must go into Rafah.
Specifically, the poll found that 72% think Israel should move forward with an operation in Rafah to finish the war and defeat Hamas once and for all.
Well, more than half of Americans – 61% – say that they would support a ceasefire after the release of all hostages and Hamas is removed from power.
Fully 80% say they stand with Israel in its war with Hamas terrorists in Gaza.
This defies the conventional wisdom of the so-called mainstream media that says Americans have turned against Israel the longer that the war has raged.
COUNTERING FAKE NEWS AND FAKE POLLS?
It also defies the view that the majority of Americans are demanding that Israel agree to a permanent ceasefire in Gaza before achieving total victory.
Indeed, the Harvard pollsters tested two questions, phrased differently, on this topic to truly understand the view of the American people.
The first question asked: Do you favor or oppose a permanent ceasefire in Gaza?”
Fully 70% said yes.
Only 30% said no.
But the second question was phrased differently.
“Would you favor or oppose that ceasefire if it meant that Hamas was allowed to continue to hold hostages and Hamas were to continue to run Gaza?”
Almost 7-in-10 Americans – 68% – would oppose such a ceasefire.
Only 32% said they would support it.
The Harvard CAPS Harris poll was conducted on April 24-25, 2024 among 1,961 registered American voters.
Today marks 211 days since Oct. 7, the day that the Hamas terrorist organization invaded Israel communities bordering the Gaza Strip, murdering some 1,200 innocent men women and children, beheading some and burning some Israeli famines to death in their homes.
That day, Hamas also kidnapped 253 Israelis and foreign workers, dragging them into terror tunnels underneath Gaza, raping women and brutally torturing and sexually assaulting others.
ALL ISRAEL NEWS Editor-in-Chief Joel C. Rosenberg delves deeper into the Harvard poll – and analyzes the latest prospects for a hostage deal, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Saudi Arabia and Israel this week – in a new, exclusive YouTube video he recorded for THE ROSENBERG REPORT.
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The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
