From January 26 to 28, 2024, we surveyed Canadians to assess their awareness of the case before the International Court of Justice concerning the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. We also sought their perspectives and opinions on the issue.
Some of the key highlights of our survey about the Israel-Hamas conflict and Immigration in Canada include…
- Half of Canadians (52%) have heard about the case file by South Africa in the International Court of Justice against the state of Israel, accusing it of genocide in the current Israel-Hamas conflict, and about a third (30%) have heard about Canada’s response to this case file.
- The opinion on the government of Canada’s response, which stated that Israel is not committing genocide in the Gaza Strip as stated by South Africa, is divided. One-third of Canadians (34%) think this response is appropriate, while 35% think it is inappropriate, and 31% don’t know or refuse to answer.
- 43% of Canadians agree that Israel is committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, while almost one-third (31%) disagree with that statement. Half of Quebecers (51%) and Canadians aged 18 to 34 (50%) are more likely to agree with the statement.
- A majority of Canadians think that the current visa allocations by the Canadian government for Ukrainian residents, Palestinians in Gaza, temporary workers, and foreign students should either remain the same or be reduced. Yet, 29% support increased visas for Ukrainians, 25% for Palestinians, 23% for temporary workers, and 14% for foreign students. Notably, Conservative voters tend to favour a reduction in visa numbers across all surveyed groups.
- About one-third of Canadians (32%) are aware that the government of Canada has announced the opening of a new temporary resident pathway for Palestinians in Gaza who already have family in Canada, while 60% were not aware of that decision.
- 40% of Canadians think the new temporary resident pathway for Palestinians is a good idea, while 34% think it is a bad idea. Liberal voters are more likely to think this is a good idea (64%), while conservative voters are more likely to think this is a bad idea (54%).
Methodology
This web survey was conducted from January 26 to 28, 2024, with 1,579 Canadians aged 18 or older, randomly recruited from LEO’s online panel. A margin of error cannot be associated with a non-probability sample in a panel survey. For comparison, a probability sample of 1,579 respondents would have a margin of error of ±2.47%, 19 times out of 20.