In Michigan, the state with the largest Arab population in the nation, most voters strongly support the U.S. calling for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, according to a new survey conducted by Data for Progress and We the People-Michigan.
The findings follow the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Palestinian Gaza Strip that has now led to nearly 20,000 dead, with fears of it escalating into a larger war in the Middle East.
Surveying voters in Oakland, Macomb, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties, the study found that two-thirds of Detroit-area voters support a de-escalation of violence in Gaza. This included 80% of Democrats, 66% of independents, and 49% of Republicans.
An earlier Lake Research Partners’ poll found that 71% of Michigan Democrats support a ceasefire.
According to a press release, previous Data for Progress polling has also found strong national support for a permanent ceasefire, as well as for providing humanitarian aid to the region.
The new survey found that 53% of Detroit-area voters disapprove of President Joe Biden’s handling of the Israel-Palestine conflict, including 40% of Democrats, 55% of independents, and 69% of Republicans. These are similar findings to a recent New York Times poll, which found that 57% of registered voters disapprove of Biden’s handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while just 33% approve. The voters polled also said they would trust Republican Donald Trump more than Biden on the issue.
Out of the Detroit-area voters, 44% feel that Biden has been too pro-Israel, while 30% believe that he has been too pro-Palestine or pro-Hamas. Many voters said that if Biden did call for a permanent ceasefire though, they would approve of him more, a hypothetical situation that jumps his Detroit-area approval rating up by 34 points.
Also in the survey, slightly more people said that they were concerned about civilian casualties in Israel than civilian casualties in Gaza. When asked if the U.S. should increase, decrease, or keep funding to Israel the same, most people said it should be decreased, while keeping the funding as is scored almost the same amount of points.
U.S. Rashida Tlaib, the sole Palestinian-American in Congress, faced controversy for calling for a ceasefire. She is now part of a small but continually growing list of congressional supporters.
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