One year after the Hamas-led invasion of Israel which resulted in the deaths of more than 1,100 civilians, including women, children, and infants, a poll conducted by J.L. Partners on behalf of The Heritage Foundation has found that a surprising number of American Muslims deny the violence that took place.

When asked which statement “comes closest to your view,” more American Muslims selected “Hamas did not commit murder and rape in Israel on October 7” (39%) than those who acknowledged the atrocities (31%). Another 30% said they were unsure. This contrasts sharply with the broader American public, of whom 64% acknowledged that Hamas committed murder and rape, while only 7% denied it.

When asked to explain why Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 59% of American Muslims said it was to “forward the Palestinian cause,” while only 14% attributed the attack to Hamas’s desire to “kill Jews and destroy Israel.” The general public, by comparison, was more likely to attribute the attack to Hamas’s anti-Israel objectives, with 51% saying the group sought to kill Jews and eliminate the state of Israel.

A significant proportion of American Muslims also expressed opposition to Israel’s existence as a Jewish homeland. About 43% said Israel does not have the right to exist, compared to just 11% of the general public. Younger Muslims, particularly those aged 18 to 29 and those of Arab descent, were more likely to hold this view. On the contrary, 66% of the general public affirmed Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state.

Antisemitic attitudes were also more prevalent among U.S. Muslims, with 58% saying Jews have “too much power” over the media and 57% saying the same about Jewish influence in U.S. federal policy. Among the general public, only 22% and 17% held those views, respectively. College-educated Muslims and older Muslims were more likely to hold these beliefs.

The survey also examined perceptions of antisemitism and anti-Muslim animus in the wake of the October 7 attack. More Americans (57%) believed that antisemitism had increased in the aftermath, while 44% believed anti-Muslim sentiment had risen. One-third of respondents said anti-Muslim sentiment had decreased since the attack.

When asked about U.S. policy toward Israel, American Muslims were more likely to favor less involvement. Around 37% of U.S. Muslims said the U.S. “should not support Israel at all” if attacked by Iran, compared to just 8% of the general public. The majority of Americans backed Israel, with 17% supporting U.S. troop deployment and 35% favoring military aid.

The Israel-Palestine conflict also ranks high among U.S. Muslims when considering their priorities for the 2024 election, with 34% citing it as their top issue, compared to just 4% of the general public. By contrast, economic issues like inflation and immigration ranked higher among the broader population.

Vice President Kamala Harris also faced scrutiny in the survey, with nearly half of U.S. Muslims (47%) describing her as “too pro-Israel.” Muslims of Arab and Asian descent were more likely to hold this view, while a smaller proportion of the general public (29%) said Harris “gets the balance right.”

The survey also found that American Muslims were more likely to support policies that give Islam a favored place in American society. Half of U.S. Muslims (50%) said it should be illegal to display cartoons or pictures of the Prophet Muhammad, while only 14% of the general public agreed. Additionally, 46% of Muslims favored the creation of a Muslim political party, and 39% supported implementing Sharia law in the U.S. This contrasts with the general public, where only 9% supported a Muslim political party and 10% backed Sharia law.

Despite these differences, the poll revealed common ground between Muslims and the general public on campus protests targeting Jewish students who support Israel. Nearly half of both groups (46% of Muslims and 48% of the general public) agreed that such students are not valid targets for protests.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)