MIDDLE EAST: Israelis Weigh in on the State of the War Against Hamas.
The top-line numbers are encouraging: “39% of Israelis say Israel’s military response against Hamas in Gaza has been about right, while 34% say it has not gone far enough and 19% think it has gone too far.” Additionally, just over two-thirds of Israelis believe that Israel will achieve its goals in battling Hamas, with 40% saying that Israel will “definitely” win and 27% saying that it will “probably” succeed.
This confidence doesn’t eliminate any worry about the conflict. According to Pew’s report, “61% say they are extremely or very concerned about the war expanding into other countries in the region” and “68% say they are extremely or very concerned about the war going on for a long time.”
They’re right to be concerned about the war expanding. Hezbollah has been working hard to make that happen in the north, resulting in yet more punishing IAF airstrikes late Tuesday.