June, 30 2020, 12:00am EDT
Plurality of Americans Oppose Israel's Annexation Plans
By 44-36 margin, Americans believe Trump should not support annexation, showing reckless land grab threatens re-election prospects.
WASHINGTON
A new poll by campaigning group SumOfUs with polling company Lucid shows that just 36% of Americans support Israel's plans to annex more areas in the West Bank. 44% believe Trump should not greenlight the plan.
The poll of over 4000 Americans shows that nearly a quarter of Republicans and 60% of Democrats oppose the annexation.
Support for Israel has been falling among Americans for some time now, and the new poll indicates that it has now been overtaken by opposition nationwide, across many demographics.
Among those who identify as Jewish, opposition was 43% against just 40% in favor; similarly, among those who identify as Christian, 42% oppose Trump giving the greenlight and just 38% support.
Far from galvanizing support, the Trump administration's "Deal of the Century" -- which would allow Israel to forcefully annex more West Bank territory -- appears to have led to unprecedented levels of opposition.
The Trump administration has been in discussions about how to respond, and one likely concern is how a greenlight would be received by voters so close to the election. With Trump's foreign policy in shambles, this new data suggests that Trump's blessing could be an election risk after all.
Emma Ruby-Sachs, the Executive Director of SumOfUs said: "Greenlighting this senseless plan is not just a betrayal of longstanding US foreign policy on Israel-Palestine, but would be a strategic disaster so close to the elections. Americans are tired of being the global bully and this could come through in the polls in November."
Stefanie Fox, the Executive Director of Jewish Voice for Peace also elaborated:
"It's fitting that this poll should come out the same day as Rep. Ocasio-Cortez led a congressional letter with 12 signers, breaking with decades of unconditional US support for the Israeli military. The debate in Congress reflects the choice we all have as Americans: support an apartheid system or fight for a future where all people of Palestine/Israel have full rights, equality, and freedom. A growing plurality of American Jews know there is only one right side of history. This polling reflects that we are an integral part of the movement fighting for Palestinian freedom."
Results of the poll can be found here.
SumOfUs is a community of people from around the world committed to curbing the growing power of corporations. We want to buy from, work for and invest in companies that respect the environment, treat their workers well and respect democracy. And we're not afraid to hold them to account when they don't. Barely a day goes by without a fresh corporate scandal making headlines. From polluting the environment to dodging taxes - when left unchecked, corporations don't let anything stand in the way of bigger profits. In an age of multinational companies that are bigger and richer than some countries, it can be easy to feel powerless. But there is a chink in their armor. The biggest corporations in the world rely on ordinary people to keep them in business. We are their customers, their employees, and often their investors. When we act together, we can be more powerful than they are. Together, our community of millions act as a global consumer watchdog - running and winning campaign
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Despite the Pentagon's repeated failures to pass audits and various alarming policies, 81 Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives voted with 200 Republicans on Wednesday to advance a $883.7 billion annual defense package.
The Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025, unveiled by congressional negotiators this past Saturday, still needs approval from the Senate, which is expected to vote next week. U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said Wednesday that he plans to vote no and spoke out against the military-industrial complex.
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Reps. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.) and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), co-chairs and co-founders of the Defense Spending Reduction Caucus, said in a joint statement, "Time and time again, Congress seems to be able to find the funds necessary to line the pockets of defense contractors while neglecting the problems everyday Americans face here at home."
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