More than one in three Americans believe Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, a poll published on Wednesday has found.
According to the Economist/YouGov poll, roughly equal numbers of adults believe Israel’s military campaign against Palestinians, which is estimated to have killed more than 25,000 people since 7 October, amounts to genocide: 35% say it is, 36% say it isn’t, with 29% undecided.
Among younger Americans, and along political lines, divisions are more prominent. Almost half of those surveyed aged 18-29, 49%, say Israel is committing genocide, with 24% disagreeing and 27% uncertain.
The figures are broadly similar for registered Democrats, who believe 49%-21% in the genocide characterization, while 30% are undecided. Republicans are far more supportive of Israel’s actions, with 57% of respondents saying there is no genocide, only 18% saying there is, and exactly one-quarter unsure.
The polling, which took place between 21 and 23 January, comes as the international court of justice (ICJ) in The Hague prepares to deliver on Friday an interim ruling on South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, and a separate lawsuit against Joe Biden’s administration for “failing to prevent genocide” advances.
The ICJ case, which was heard over two days earlier this month, is seen as an important gauge of international sentiment over Israel’s campaign in Gaza. South Africa claimed that more than 50 countries agreed with its assertion Israel had shown “chilling” and “incontrovertible” intent to commit genocide in Gaza during its military response to the Hamas attacks of 7 October.
“This court has the benefit of the past 13 weeks of evidence that shows, incontrovertibly, a pattern of conduct and related intention that justifies a plausible claim of genocidal acts,” the South African lawyer Adila Hassim said.
Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said the allegation was false. “We are fighting terrorists, we are fighting lies. Israel is accused of genocide while it is fighting against genocide,” he said.
Meanwhile, a first hearing is scheduled on Friday in a federal lawsuit brought by the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) claiming the Biden administration failed to carry out its duties under US and international law to stop Israel from killing civilians in Gaza.
“The US has the means available to have a deterrent effect on Israeli officials now pursuing genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” the complaint says.
The US outright rejects the claim that Israel is violating the UN convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide.
South Africa is seeking from the ICJ judges a ruling for an immediate ceasefire, or cessation of hostilities.
The CCR lawsuit, filed in California on behalf of several Palestinian groups, asks the court to bar the US from providing weapons, money and diplomatic support to Israel.
