Americans Split over Crisis in Gaza

Spencer Platt/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — A plurality of Americans believes that the militant group Hamas is to blame for the violence that has erupted in Gaza for the past three weeks.

A Pew Research poll release Monday found that 40 percent of respondents fault Hamas while 19 percent says Israel spurred the attacks.

Meanwhile, 14 percent say both sides are to blame while 28 percent don’t know who was responsible for violence.

However, when broken down by political affiliation, the differences are starker.

Sixty percent who identify themselves as Republicans blame Hamas while 13 percent hold Israel responsible.

On the Democratic side, 29 percent says Hamas brought the violence in Gaza on themselves but 26 percent contend that it was Israel who is the aggressor.

Meanwhile, younger respondents to the Pew poll are more inclined to blame Israel than those who are older.


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