40% of Latinos support ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war, poll finds
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Pro-Palestine supporters rally in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Nov. 12, 2023. Photo: Miguel J. Rodríguez Carrillo/VIEWpress via Getty Images
Forty percent of Latino adults say the U.S. should push for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, per the latest Axios-Ipsos Latino Poll in partnership with Noticias Telemundo.
Why it matters: Latinos are part of a multi-ethnic coalition that President Biden needs to win re-election, and his support of Israel has become a vulnerability.
By the numbers: Just 16% of respondents said the U.S. should continue to support Israel with arms and funds.
- 39% said the U.S. should not be involved in the conflict.
- The poll surveyed 1,012 Latino adults between March 22 and March 28.
What they're saying: Colorado state Rep. Tim Hernández, a Democrat who has been advocating for a ceasefire, says the support many Latinos show for Palestinians is driven by "a fundamental opposition to oppression."
- Hernández adds that many Latinos, especially young ones, are a driving force behind many of the nationwide protests and movements calling for a ceasefire.
- "I think it's really kind of emblematic of the way that Latinos are really expressing deep solidarity throughout many progressive movements in the U.S. right now."
Zoom in: Graciela I. Sánchez, director of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center in San Antonio, says her organization has for years supported Palestinian causes.
- Many Latinos — especially those informed by the political oppression that gave rise to the Chicano/a movement and by civil wars in Central America — "have a perspective that's broader than just what's happening today," Sánchez says.
- Sánchez adds that the Israel-Hamas war has galvanized Latino youths in a way she'd never seen before.
- Many Puerto Ricans see the Palestinian cause as a familiar fight against colonialism.
The other side: Many Hispanics — in particular evangelical Christians — have expressed support for Israel.
- Dozens of Hispanic Christian leaders earlier this year signed a letter in support of Israel in the war.
The big picture: A Gallup poll earlier found that public opinion has shifted since Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist attacks that sparked the war, with a majority of Americans now disapproving of Israel's military actions in Gaza.
Methodology: This Axios-Ipsos Latino Poll, in partnership with Noticias Telemundo, was conducted March 22-28 by Ipsos' KnowledgePanel®. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1,012 Hispanic/Latino adults age 18 or older.
- The margin of sampling error is ±3.6 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample.
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