WASHINGTON—As the US navigates involvement in the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, few Americans want the country to take a more active role in solving the world’s problems, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
ISRAELI troops move near the Gaza Strip border in southern Israel on Monday, March 4, 2024. The army is battling Palestinian militants across Gaza in the war ignited by Hamas’ October 7 attack into Israel. Israel can either try to annihilate Hamas, which would mean almost certain death for the estimated 100 hostages still held in Gaza, or it can cut a deal that would allow the militants to claim a historic victory. Either outcome would be excruciating for Israelis.
The Biden administration has become increasingly blunt in recent days in pressing Israel and Hamas to come to terms for a cease-fire that would last at least six weeks and would facilitate the release of dozens of hostages that were taken captive by militants when Hamas launched it’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
Where the US should be focusing its international military resources is also a subject of debate, with Republicans and Democrats disagreeing over whether the nation should be taking a more active role in the war between Ukraine and Russia or the war between Israel and Hamas. “America is spread thin like everywhere, and we need to take care of our own first,” Matt Wood, a Republican from Kentucky, said in an interview. “Then, if we can, if we have the resources available, then we can help other countries.”