- 56% agree with the Prime Minister’s October 8th statement responding to the Hamas attack in Israel.
- Only 14% of Canadians are confident that a peaceful resolution will be reached in Gaza in 2023.
October 18, 2023
On October 7, 2023, Hamas militant groups conducted a surprise offensive on Israel, killing at least 1,400 Israeli citizens including civilians. In response, an Israel counter-offensive has killed over 2,750 Palestinians, displaced an estimated 1 million residents, and has created a scarcity of water, food, electricity and medical supplies in Gaza.
In a national survey, we asked Canadian residents how much attention they are paying to the conflict. A total of 60% say they are paying close attention (score of seven or higher on a ten-point scale), while an additional two in ten are paying some attention (score of five or six), while 18% are not paying much attention at all (score of four or lower). As age increases, so does attention paid towards the conflict, with two thirds of Boomers saying they are paying close attention, while only four-in-ten Gen Z say the same. Results are consistent geographically across the country.
The day after the attack on Israel on October 7th, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement:
“Early yesterday, on a Jewish holiday and 50 years after the start of the Yom Kippur War, the terrorist organization Hamas launched a massive, coordinated attack against Israel. Canada unequivocally condemns these terrible attacks in the strongest possible terms and reaffirms its support for Israel’s right to defend itself, in accordance with international law.
The images we have seen are horrifying and shocking. As we fully realize the scale and brutality of this violence in the coming days, we extend our deepest condolences to everyone affected. Our hearts break for the hundreds of innocent people whose lives were senselessly taken.
We call for the immediate release of those being held hostage and demand they be treated in accordance with international law. We will continue to monitor the situation closely, and we are in touch with our international partners to restore peace and security in the region. We must all work to protect civilian life.
To our Israeli friends, Canadians stand with you. The Government of Canada stands ready to support you – our support for the Israeli people is steadfast.”
Asked to what extent they agree with the Federal government’s stance based on the statement, 56% of Canadians agree with the statement (score of seven or higher on a ten-point scale), while three in ten offer more neutral scores (score of five or six), and 14% disagree (score of four or lower). Older Canadians are more likely to agree with the statement compared with younger residents. Those who say they are paying close attention to the war are also more likely to agree with the Government’s statement compared with those who are paying less attention.
And while there is a global desire for a negotiated peaceful resolution to the latest hostilities, Canadians are not optimistic that it will happen in 2023. Only 14% of Canadians are confident that a resolution will come this year (score of seven or higher on a ten-point scale), and a majority – 60% – are not very confident this will occur (60% scores of one to four). Younger residents are somewhat more confident than those aged 55 or over, otherwise results are relatively consistent across demographics
Results are from an online survey conducted in partnership between Narrative Research and the Logit Group. The survey was conducted between October 14th and 16th, 2023, with 1,231 Canadians, 18 years of age or older from the Logit Group’s Canadian Omnibus. Data were weighted based on the 2016 Census by gender, age, and region to reflect actual population distribution. As a non-probability sample a margin of error is not applied.
The questions asked were:
As you may or may not know, in the last few days, war has broken out between Israel and the Hamas governing authorities in Gaza. How much attention are you paying to this conflict?(1 = Not paying any attention at all, 10 = Paying very close attention)
How confident are you that there will be a negotiated peace resolution in 2023 to these latest hostilities between Israel and Gaza? (1 = Not at all confident, 10 = Completely confident)
On October 8th, 2023, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, issued a statement about the conflict, which said [Statement presented verbatim] To what extent do you agree or disagree with the federal government’s statement on the situation? (1 = Completely disagree, 10 = Completely agree)
For more information, please contact:
Margaret Chapman, COO & Partner, Narrative Research – 902.493-3834, mchapman@narrativeresearch.ca
OR
Sam Pisani, Managing Partner, Logit Group – 416.629.4116, sam.pisani@logitgroup.com
Narrative Research (www.narrativeresearch.ca), is a leading public opinion and market research company headquartered in Canada. The company is certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE). As a non-partisan, 100% Canadian-owned research company, Narrative Research is dedicated to providing clients with state-of-the-art research and strategic consulting services.
The Logit Group (https://logitgroup.com/) is a leading North American data collection and market research execution company headquartered in Toronto, conducting large-scale projects for a variety of well-known research agencies and brands. Logit employs industry-best technologies across an array of methodologies, and is independent, experienced and quality-oriented.
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