WASHINGTON, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- One-third of UPI-Zogby International poll participants said Israel uses "excessive force" against Palestinians but one-quarter said "not enough" is used.
The "excessive force" choice was given a slim plurality at 33.1 percent among the 6,296 U.S. respondents to a Zogby interactive poll while 24.3 percent said "not enough" force was being employed. Another 22.8 percent said the Israelis were using the "right amount" of force.
Israel is often berated for its retaliation of Palestinian militants' attacks as an over-reaction, sometimes sending in military forces to areas suspected of harboring extremists. However, Israel, pointing to the series of suicide bombings and ongoing missile attacks, says such moves are necessary self-defense policies.
The results of the Dec. 4-6 poll, which carries a margin of error of 1.3 percentage points, indicate just how the U.S. population is split on events in the Middle East.
That is most obvious in political affiliation. Some 56.1 percent of Democrats said Israel was using too much force and 6.2 percent said "not enough." Among Republicans queried, 7.9 percent said the current force level was "excessive" and 42.5 percent said it was "not enough."
