US public support for Israel plunges to all time low, with Ali Abunimah

US Public Support for Israel Plummets [0:10]

• 56% of registered voters disapprove of Trump's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with 40% strongly disapproving.
• Only 36% of registered voters approve.
• Among 18 to 29 year olds, 73% disapprove and 53% strongly disapprove, with only 21% approving.
• 51% of registered voters disapprove of sending additional economic and military aid to Israel, a significant shift.
• 35% strongly disapprove of sending more economic and military aid.
• There is a strong partisan divide: 73% of Democrats oppose sending additional aid, while 71% of Republicans approve.

This section highlights a dramatic decrease in American public support for Israel, particularly concerning its handling of the conflict and the provision of aid. The data reveals a significant generational and partisan divide in these sentiments.

"We have a good news story."

"This is a New York Times poll and I dug into the numbers uh in the tables that they provided the poll and uh I'll just give you some of the headlines."

"56% of registered voters pled uh here disapprove of Trump's handling of the what they call the Israeli Palestinian conflict, including 40% who strongly disapprove."

"51%, so that's more than half of registered voters disapprove of sending additional economic and military aid to Israel. So that's a sea change. I mean, I can't underestimate how big a sea change that is for those of us who've been watching this over many years."

Public Sympathy Shifts Dramatically [2:35]

• A New York Times poll found that 34% sympathize more with Israel, while 35% sympathize more with Palestinians.
• This is the first time in 30 years of polling that sympathy for Palestinians has reached near-equal levels with Israel, representing a significant shift.
• Approximately 20% of respondents expressed no preference or sympathized with both sides.

This segment marks a profound change in public sentiment, with sympathy for Palestinians reaching levels previously unseen in polling, challenging decades of established trends.

"Every single poll I have seen for the last 30 years that I've been watching this, a far larger number sympathize with Israel and only a minority sympathize with Palestinians."

"Well, now in this New York Times poll, 34% sympathize more with Israel and 35% sympathize more with Palestinians. So that's you could say statistically equal, but with Palestinians slightly ahead. I have never seen that before."

"And then you have about 20% saying both sides, they're not willing to take a position or you know, so that's a sea change."

Views on Civilian Casualties and Military Actions [3:37]

• 58% of registered voters agree with the statement: "Israel should stop its military campaign in order to protect against civilian casualties even if not all Israeli hostages have been released."
• Only 30% agree with the statement: "Israel should continue its military campaign until all hostages are released. Even if it means civil civilian casualties in Gaza might continue."
• This indicates that by a margin of approximately 2 to 1, Americans want an end to the conflict to prevent civilian casualties.
• Only 25% of Americans believe Israel is taking enough precautions to avoid civilian casualties.
• 62% of registered voters agree that Israel is not taking enough precautions to avoid civilian casualties.
• Of the 62% who believe Israel is not taking enough precautions, 40% believe Israel is deliberately targeting civilians, while 16% believe it is unintentional.

The data presented here strongly suggests that a majority of Americans are concerned about civilian casualties in Gaza and believe Israel is not doing enough to prevent them, with a significant portion suspecting intentional targeting.

"58% of registered voters agreed with that statement. A very clear majority."

"So uh by 60 to 30 Americans want to see an end to this genocide. Of course the New York Times doesn't use the word genocide but um still Americans want an end to this."

"Only 25% agreed with that."

"62% agreed with that. So 62% of registered voters agreed that Israel is not doing enough to prevent civilian casualties."

"So, the Israeli propaganda and the clues, we're the most uh no army does more than we do to protect civilians, nobody's buying it. 62% of Americans reject that."

"And then of that 62%, 40% 40% say Israel is deliberately intentionally targeting civilians and just 16% say it is unintentional."

"So the American public understands that Israel is a brutal, sadistic, murderous state that is deliberately targeting civilians. That is an absolute sea change."

Judge Rules Against Silencing Pro-Palestine Activists [5:55]

• A US federal judge ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully targeted pro-Palestine student activists with deportation to silence criticism of Israel, violating their right to free speech.
• Federal District Judge William Young stated that the Secretary of State and Secretary of Homeland Security misused their powers in a deportation campaign.
• The judge cited that these actions were intended "to strike fear into similarly situated non-citizen pro-Palestinian individuals, proactively and effectively curbing lawful pro-Palestinian speech and intentionally denying such individuals the freedom of speech that is their right."

This legal decision is described as huge, asserting that government officials unlawfully suppressed free speech by targeting pro-Palestine activists for deportation. The ruling emphasizes the protection of lawful speech and the right to free expression for non-citizens.

"US federal judge ruled that the Trump administration uh unlawfully targeted pro Palestine student activists with deportation to silence criticism of Israel, violating their right to free speech."

"They did so in order to strike fear into similarly situated non-citizen pro-Palestinian individuals, proactively and effectively curbing lawful pro-Palestinian speech and intentionally denying such individuals the freedom of speech that is their right."

"So that's it is huge. It's really huge."

University Capitulation and Student Organizing [7:14]

• The transcript mentions college campuses and administrations, specifically referencing Berkeley, California, where the chancellor allegedly handed over names of over 150 students involved in Palestine rights organizing to the administration.
• Cornell University is reported to have fired a professor for pointing out an Israeli spy who was allegedly recording a class.
• The speaker criticizes institutions of higher education for capitulating to the demands of the federal government, donors, and Israel lobby groups, which suppresses student speech, organizing, critical thought, and academic freedom.
• Despite this, students and faculty of conscience are described as continuing to stand up for their rights.

This section details concerns about the suppression of dissent and academic freedom within universities, with accusations of administrations yielding to external pressures that impact free speech and student activism.

"I mean, right now, college campuses, administrations, uh, here in my, you know, hometown of Berkeley, California, uh, the chancellor of UC Berkeley, just handed over the names of, uh, I think more than 150 students uh, who have been involved in Palestine rights organizing on campus."

"Um, he just handed them over to the Trump administration."

"And then um when this professor who happens to be Jewish, but that shouldn't matter um pointed it out to the administration, he I I believe his classes were cancelled just to protect this Israeli spite. I mean this is the capitulation and the cowardice in these um you know levels in these institutions of higher education especially the citadels of academic freedom."

"Exactly. just just they can't help they can't help but fall over themselves um capitulating over and over again to the demands of not just the federal government to to suppress uh student speech and organizing and critical thought and academic freedom um but but also you know to their donors and and and the Israel lobby groups that are pressuring them. these people are cowards."