A Generational Split Over the War
A February 2024 survey measured how Americans of different ages viewed Israel’s reasons for fighting Hamas.
In February 2024, 38% of U.S. adults ages 18–29 said Israel had valid reasons for fighting Hamas, compared with 78% of adults ages 65 and older. Those figures describe answers to a question about Israel’s reasons for fighting. Pew asked separately whether Israel’s conduct in the war was acceptable.
The age gap provides a baseline for studying public opinion. Identifying any effect of activism would require evidence of exposure to protests or campaigns and a research design that accounts for other influences.
What the survey measured
The two age groups were 40 percentage points apart on the question about reasons for fighting. Pew also asked about the conduct of the war, which is a different question. The February fieldwork preceded the spring encampment wave discussed elsewhere in this issue. It provides a baseline for later comparisons, with the wording and age groups held constant.
Police and transport records by country
One New Jersey city reported an overtime bill
Englewood’s city manager told The Record that the city had incurred $32,000 in overtime since October 7, most of it for additional police at council meetings and protests. The figure reported in 2024 covers several activities. No breakdown in the account assigns an amount to any one demonstration. Teaneck’s separate municipal budget reports police spending by account, which cannot establish the protest share of its spending.
Interview with the Englewood city manager · Teaneck municipal budget book
Figures and sources
A US historical study compares incarceration by birthplace from 1870 to 2020. It finds lower incarceration rates for immigrants in recent decades. Incarceration is the outcome measured and the comparison uses birthplace. It does not estimate protest involvement, incidents committed, or outcomes by religious affiliation. NBER research paper
United States population and public costs · Public costs and national research