(Rasmussenreports).Forty-nine percent (49%) of U.S. voters believe pro-Palestinian activists on the Gaza-bound aid ships raided by Israeli forces are to blame for the deaths that resulted in the high-profile incident.
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 19% of voters think the Israelis are to blame. Thirty-two percent (32%) more are not sure.
But 51% say Israel should allow an international investigation of the incident. Twenty-five percent (25%) agree with the Israeli government and reject the idea of an international probe. Another 24% are undecided.
While a number of countries have called for an international investigation of the incident, the Israeli government is skeptical of such probes arguing that the participants are often biased against the Jewish state.
Nearly half (49%) of U.S. voters agree that, generally speaking, most countries are too critical of Israel. Twenty-one percent (21%) say those countries are not critical enough. Seventeen percent (17%) say neither.
At the United Nations and in other international forums, the United States often finds itself as one of Israel’s few defenders, but just 24% say, generally speaking, America is too supportive of Israel. Thirty-three percent (33%) say the United States is not supportive enough, while 32% say neither is the case.
Republicans feel much more strongly than Democrats and voters not affiliated with either party that pro-Palestinian activists are to blame for the deadly outcome on the Gaza-bound aid ships.
While 65% of Democrats and 50% of unaffiliateds favor an international investigation, Republicans are evenly divided on the idea.
One possible explanation is that nearly two-thirds (65%) of GOP voters think most countries are too critical of Israel, a view shared by just 37% of Democrats and a plurality (46%) of unaffiliated voters.