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59 Percent of Washington Residents Oppose Sending Arms to Israel; 43 Percent Oppose Loan

June 29, 1948
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Six out of ten Washington residents oppose shipping arms to Israel and nearly half of the district residents would oppose an American loan to the new Jewish state, a Washington Post poll published today reveals.

Asked “are you for or against shipping arms to Israel?” some 59 percent of the District of Columbia residents who were polled replied that they were opposed to shipping arms to the new state. Some 16 percent were in favor of shipping arms to Israel while another five percent would favor it “if they are paid for, if Britain supplies the Arabs.” Twenty percent expressed no opinion.

Asked “are you for or against lending money to Israel?” 28 percent said they favored the idea, while 43 percent said they would oppose such a plan. Another seven percent said they would favor a loan if the money were used only for peaceful purposes. Twenty-two percent expressed no opinion.

Of those polled who were willing to express a definite opinion in favor of one side or another 69 percent favored Israel. Some 46 percent of this group said they took the Jewish side because the Jewish people are entitled to a homeland. Another 21 percent maintained that the Jews have a Biblical right to Israel, 21 percent believe the U.N. partition plan should be upheld, and nine percent would give the territory to the Jews because they have done more to develop it than the Arabs.

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