**Polls Show Many Canadians Uninformed About Israel-Hamas Conflict** Two recent polls reveal that a significant portion of Canadians are either unaware of or indifferent to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Despite the issue being a focal point in Canadian political discussions, many respondents struggle to answer basic questions about it. A Leger poll indicates that while 50% of Canadians support Prime Minister Mark Carney's recognition of Palestinian statehood, nearly as many believe it will have no impact. Specifically, 50% endorsed recognizing the Palestinian people's right to their own state, while 23% opposed it, and 27% were unsure. However, 20% of respondents felt that this recognition would worsen the situation, and 42% believed it would make no difference. Only 15% thought it would increase the likelihood of peace. The poll also found that just 51% of Canadians claimed to have a good understanding of the conflict involving Israel, Hamas, and Palestinians in Gaza. In contrast, 39% reported a poor understanding, and 9% were unsure or refused to answer. This lack of knowledge was particularly evident among supporters of the Green Party and the New Democratic Party (NDP). In the NDP, 43% of respondents admitted to having a poor understanding of the issue, compared to 36% of Liberal and Conservative supporters. When asked about Canada's support for Israel and Palestinians, many respondents expressed indifference. Regarding support for Israel, 28% had no opinion, while 29% felt it was adequate. Conversely, 30% believed Canada was too supportive, and 13% thought it was not supportive enough. Similar sentiments were observed regarding support for Palestinians, with 35% saying it was about right and 26% having no opinion. Canadians also displayed confusion about the motivations behind anti-Israel demonstrations in major cities. A plurality, 26%, stated they did not know the purpose of these protests. The next most common responses were that the demonstrations aimed to support Palestinians (23%), stop the war in Gaza (19%), and draw negative attention to Israel (13%). Only 8% agreed with the demonstrators' claim that the protests aimed to change Canadian government policy toward the Middle East. A separate Leger poll commissioned by the Association for Canadian Studies found that Canadians' understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict diminished further when asked specific questions. For instance, 50% of respondents did not know whether Palestinians had opportunities to establish their own state, while only 25% answered correctly that they had. Additionally, many Canadians were unaware of historical facts, such as whether Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza from 1948 to 1967. Only 15% knew that Israeli control began after the 1967 Six-Day War, while 54% were unsure. Jack Jedwab, president and CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies, noted that knowledge about the conflict is low, even among those who rate their understanding highly. He stated, "I would suggest that those who have strong opinions on it generally also lack accurate knowledge about the history." Jedwab also highlighted a question regarding Canada's vote on a 1975 UN resolution that declared Zionism a form of racism. Only 21% of respondents believed Canada supported the resolution, while 66% did not know. In reality, Canada voted against the resolution and condemned it through a unanimous House of Commons resolution. Despite Ottawa's endorsement of a two-state solution, the most common view among Canadians is that the conflict is irreconcilable. Only 27% believe Israelis and Palestinians can coexist peacefully, while 43% view the conflict as irreconcilable, and 30% were unsure. The Leger survey included 1,562 Canadians and was conducted online from October 3 to 5. The Association for Canadian Studies survey involved 1,564 Canadians and was conducted online from October 5 to 7. Both surveys have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.48% and 2.52%, respectively, 19 times out of 20. Both surveys were conducted prior to U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement of a peace deal between Israel and Hamas.