Survey reveals 49% U.S. voters see Netanyahu as obstacle to Israel-Palestine peace
Washington: In light of a newly proposed ceasefire deal from the White House and recent comments by President Joe Biden suggesting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is prolonging the Gaza conflict to maintain power, a new Data for Progress survey indicates a significant portion of U.S. likely voters view Netanyahu as a major barrier to peace between Israel and Palestine.
The survey, conducted from June 5 to 6, reveals that 49% of respondents believe Netanyahu is either a major or moderate obstacle to achieving peace, while only 18% think he is not an obstacle at all.
When asked about the primary responsibility for the lack of a permanent ceasefire in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, 38% of voters believe both Netanyahu and Hamas share equal responsibility. This view is particularly strong among swing voters, who see equal blame on both sides by a 19-point margin over blaming Hamas alone.
The survey also explored voter opinions on Biden’s three-phase ceasefire proposal announced on May 31. A significant majority of 64% of voters express their support for the proposal. This includes a +37 net support from Independents and +44 from swing voters, highlighting widespread approval across various political demographics.
The ceasefire plan initially faced challenges as reports indicate Biden announced the three-phase proposal without prior agreement from Netanyahu. This led to mixed responses from Israeli officials regarding their support for the plan. Netanyahu has since stressed that Israel would not commit to a permanent end to the war, aiming instead to dismantle Hamas’ military capabilities. Despite this, the UN Security Council has voiced support for the proposal.
Voters were also asked if the U.S. should withdraw military aid from Israel if its government rejects the ceasefire proposal. A majority of 53% support withdrawing military aid under these conditions. While Republicans are the only major subgroup that does not support this measure, 35% of them still express some level of support. Other subgroups show net support, including +49 from Democrats, +17 from Independents, +40 from voters under 45, and +25 from swing voters.
These findings coincide with public statements from key figures such as U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, who has criticized Netanyahu as a "major obstacle” to peace and called for new leadership in Israel. Public opinion in Israel also reflects increased resentment towards Netanyahu since the war began, with many Israelis believing his decisions are politically motivated rather than in the national interest.
The survey results indicate that American voters are increasingly critical of Netanyahu’s role in obstructing peace and support measures that align with international ceasefire efforts.
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Congress leader Harish Rawat files FIR against BJP over 'misinformation' campaign against him
Dehradun (PTI) Senior Congress leader and former Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat on Tuesday filed a police complaint here against the alleged misinformation campaign being carried out against him by BJP on social media.
Rawat, who reached the Nehru Colony police station with his supporters, handed over a written complaint along with a pen drive and other evidence to the police.
Based on this, an FIR was registered under relevant sections of the Information Technology (Amendment) Act, 2008 and relevant sections of law.
After filing the FIR, Rawat alleged that the police took four hours to register his complaint. He added that if it takes so long for a former CM to file an FIR, one can easily imagine the plight of a common man.
"Finally, after four hours, the police registered the FIR with trembling hands. Their hands were trembling because we have accused the BJP president and his associates, with factual evidence, of misusing AI to tarnish our and our party's image and trying to disrupt social harmony by targeting a particular community," Rawat said.
He expressed hope that after the registration of the FIR, the police would bring the culprits to justice.
Rawat also said, "Just imagine, if the police take so much time to register an FIR of a former CM, what will be the condition of a common man in this state?"
Later, he also handed over a copy of the FIR to the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Dehradun and the SSP of the Special Task Force. Rawat also said that he would meet the District Magistrate of Dehradun and the State Election Officer with his complaint on Wednesday.
Recently, an AI-generated reel was uploaded on the official social media page of the BJP, which portrayed Rawat as a supporter of appeasement.
In the reel, a Congress leader is heard saying, "I take refuge in Muslims, I take refuge in dargahs (shrines), I take refuge in love jihad." The subsequent images show the construction of a dargah and some people smiling and talking about turning Devbhoomi (the land of gods) into a land of dargahs.
At the end of the reel, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is seen walking with police forces and bulldozers.
Rawat also claimed that another AI-generated video was uploaded from a 'fake' BJP platform, depicting him as a 'traitorous Pakistani agent' engaged in espionage. However, the BJP has denied any connection to this video.
