Video summary
A recent Harvard Harris poll reveals a significant divide in American public opinion regarding Israel and extremist figures, with 70% of all voters favoring Israel over Hamas. While the majority across Republicans, Democrats, and independents reject anti-Israel influencers like Hassan Paher and Candace Owens, there is notable support for Hamas among young people aged 18 to 24 and within the Democratic Party. Despite this demographic shift, the poll shows that 74% of surveyed Americans still affirm Israel's right to exist as the homeland of the Jewish people, indicating that while specific groups may hold opposing views, the broader consensus remains supportive of the state of Israel.
The discussion highlights a strong bipartisan rejection of extremism, with overwhelming majorities in both parties agreeing that figures who promote anti-Semitism or oppose Israel have no place in civil discourse. Experts note that while some segments of the population, particularly younger voters and certain Democrats, express support for Hamas or engage in rhetoric that ignores historical context, the Republican Party has made a conscious effort to distance itself from such voices over recent years. This internal cleansing within the GOP serves as a model for how political parties can address rising anti-Semitism, though similar actions are urged from the Democratic side to ensure safety and unity across the nation.
The conversation also addresses the stark contrast in experiences for Jewish communities depending on their location, with Florida serving as a protective example compared to coastal states like New York and California. In Florida, under the leadership of figures like Governor nominee Byron Donalds, anti-Semitism is actively combated on college campuses and in public life, allowing Jewish students to feel safe without fear. Conversely, in other regions, many Jews report feeling afraid to wear religious symbols or attend synagogues due to rising hostility, underscoring a critical need for political leadership to prioritize education and safety measures against bigotry nationwide.
Ultimately, the transcript concludes that while challenges persist regarding awareness and combating anti-Semitism across different political lines, the core message is one of resilience and the importance of common sense. The vast majority of Americans reject hate speech and extremism, even if pockets of ignorance or radicalization exist within specific demographics. By learning from states like Florida where Jewish communities are thriving and protected, other regions can work toward ensuring that all citizens feel safe to practice their faith freely, reinforcing the fundamental American values of liberty and equality for everyone regardless of their background.
Read the full video transcript
The influence of influencers. A new poll
in the United States has found that most
American voters reject extremists like
commentators like Hassan Paher and
Candace Owens. Now, both have made
opposition to Israel a central issue. PA
is a prominent streamer on the far left,
while Owens is more in line with the far
right. The Harvard Harris poll found 70%
of all voters favor Israel over Hamas.
But young people and Democrats are more
supportive of kamas. For 18 to 24 year
olds, 54% favor kamas in the war. A
terror group that conducted the massacre
and mass abduction on the 7th of
October. Now, let's take a look at the
findings on these anti-Israel influences
asked if the Democratic Party should
embrace or reject PA. 79% of
Republicans, 72% of Democrats, and 80%
of independents say he should be
rejected. Asked if the Republican party
should embrace or reject people like
Candace Owens, who regularly blames the
Jews for a range of issues, 73% of
Republicans, 76% of Democrats, and 76%
of independents say Owens should be
rejected. And when it comes to the
existence of Israel, 74% of those
surveyed say Israel has a right to exist
as the homeland of the Jewish people.
For young people aged 18 to 24, around
half say Israel should exist.
Staggering to the US. Now we welcome
Brian Lee, CEO of the Henry Public
Relations Organization and a foreign
policy expert joining us now from Miami
Beach in Florida. Thank you so much for
your time. It's difficult to process
some of these findings. This Harvard
Harris poll finding 70% of all voters
favor Israel over Hamas, but young
people and Democrats are more supportive
of Kamas, a terror group. Your thoughts,
your reaction.
>> It's good to be with you. Uh listen uh
at the end of the day the vast majority
of the American people uh continue to
stand with the state of Israel and with
their Jewish brothers and sisters here
inside of the United States. And you
know while there might be you know some
parts of the poll that that cause alarm
I think the very fact that over 70% of
voters and both the Republican Democrat
and independent said people like Assan
and Candace Owens have no place in
our civil discourse. That's huge. That's
a big win. That's that's the
overwhelming majority of voters that are
saying that these people uh are are too
radical for them. So yes, there's going
to be some small maybe detractors that
young people is something that we're all
watching here in America, but the
message is really clear at the end of
the day with all this is that the vast
majority of the American people reject
this nonsense and they want to return to
common sense. So Brian, do you think
then that political parties should be
distancing themselves from those who
spew hatred and lies like this?
>> Of course they should. Full stop.
Listen, I can't speak to the Democratic
party. I'm not a Democrat. I'm a
Republican. What I can tell you about my
party is that over the years when people
like Candace Owens and Tucker Carlson
and Thomas Massie and Marjgery Taylor
Green when they continue to traffic
directly and indirectly in anti-semitism
and calling uh calling you know the
state of Israel to the carpet while
ignoring every other country in the
world. Uh we as Republicans stood united
and we spoke out against them. Marjgery
Taylor Green is no longer in Congress.
Thomas Massie as of uh in two months
will no longer have a seat in the
Republican Congress and Tucker Carlson
has said that the Republican party has
abandoned him. So, you know, from our
side, from the Republican side, the
right-wing side and here in America, we
made a conscious effort to say that
anti-semitism was not going to grow
within our ranks and we were very clear
about that. The end result is that these
anti-semites have no place in the
Republican party.
Why then is support for Israel or a lack
of support for Israel featuring so
prominently in the US right now?
Certainly in many of the primaries as
well at a time when the US is facing its
own range of domestic issues. You're
hearing support for terror groups.
You're hearing support for those who
call to globalize the interfa. Why is
this a priority for so many people in
the US at the moment?
Well, you know, I don't know if it's a
priority, but but certainly there's it's
there's something happening, you know,
but when you look at the polling, you
know, if you were to ask 10 Republicans
versus 10 Democrats, do you support
Hamas? 10 out of 10 Republicans would
say, we certainly don't support Hamas.
But for some reason on the other side of
the political aisle here in America, um,
you know, there's, you know, 20, 30, 40%
of Democrats that will say stupid things
like, "Oh yeah, we support Hamas over
the state of Israel." I mean, I really
think it just comes down to ignorance
and really not understanding, you know,
who Hamas is, who they've always been.
Uh, but, you know, this is the way that
the Democratic Party is going here in
America. We just have to be honest about
it. I listen, I have friends that are
Democrats. Uh, they call themselves old
school, you know, moderate Democrats,
and they tell me all the time they don't
know what's happening to their party.
Um, and and and from the outside looking
in as a Republican, I don't really know
what's happening with their party
either. I'm just very happy that we have
made a conscious decision and a
conscious effort over the last couple
years here within the Republican party.
As anti-semitism has risen on our side,
we have squashed it full stop. It's not
growing. The cancer is not going to
spread in the Republican party. Um I
hope the Democrats would try and do
something similar to be honest. Well,
certainly looking at those anti-Israel
protests on American elite campuses
after October 7th, it raised so many
questions. And the question is not only
to the Democrats or the Republicans, but
to everyone in some level of leadership
or authority in the United States to ask
the question, what is being done when it
comes to awareness, education, and
combating anti-semitism for everyone
across the aisle? Your thoughts?
Yeah, listen, there's a lot to be done
and I'm so glad you're talking about
anti-semitism on college campuses. You
know, here in my state of Florida, I was
actually at an event last night where
some students had an opportunity uh they
were affiliated with students supporting
Israel from the FAU chapter and they had
an opportunity to ask the Republican
nominee uh for governor Byron Donald's
down here in Florida. They said, "Mr.
Donald's, anti-semitism is out of
control on college campuses. what are
you going to do here in the state of
Florida to make sure that we're safe? He
looked him dead in the eye. He said very
simply that anti-semitism and bigotry
will not be tolerated in any way, shape,
or form here on college campuses in
Florida. So kudos to Byron Donald's for
making that stance. And I think, you
know, this is really when we go into red
state versus blue state. You know, in
red states, Jewish students, they're
protected. they don't have to worry
about the nonsense that we see happening
on Colombia's campus and Yale and
Harvard and UC Berkeley and all these
different things. So, it really comes
down to political leadership and it
comes down to making sure you have the
right people that are leading the charge
and speaking unequivocally as Byron
Donald's did last night to say that
anti-semitism has no place on our
college campuses. Very briefly for
Jewish Americans anywhere in the
country, are you confident that they can
walk freely wearing their yarmaka,
wearing a Star of David? Is that
something that you are confident about
right now for any Jewish person across
the United States?
>> You know, if you are a Jewish person and
you live in the in in the state of
Florida, you have absolutely no concerns
whatsoever. Um, when you go in, you see
what's happening on the screen right
now. you know, with these people
marching through the streets. This stuff
didn't happen in Florida. We It just
wasn't tolerated. We just put our foot
down and said, "We're not going to let
this happen." Now, my friends in New
York and and California, they're they're
afraid to be Jews in their state.
They're afraid to put a keepa on.
They're afraid to go to synagogue.
They're afraid to show them again to
around their neck. That is horrible that
we are in a place in our country where
that's happening. But I've got to be
clear again, in the state of Florida,
that's not happening. The Orthodox
community is growing. The Jewish
community is growing. And we are very
proud of what we have done here in the
state of Florida to protect the Jewish
community and we wish that the whole
country would look at us as a model for
that. Ryan Lee live from Miami Beach,
Florida. Thank you so much for being
with us today on the rundown. Thank you.