National polling shows strong support for complementing humanitarian aid and security capacity building with investment in Israeli and Palestinian civil society -- including at least CAD $50 million for the Fund Canada helped launch
OTTAWA, ON, Sept. 29, 2026 /CNW/ -- Days after Prime Minister Mark Carney announced an additional CAD $100 million for Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly, national polling released today shows broad public support for an active Canadian role in advancing Israeli-Palestinian peace, including strong backing for the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace that Canada helped launch this summer.
Speaking at the UN on September 22, Carney announced CAD $80 million in humanitarian assistance and CAD $20 million for peace and security capacity building. In the same remarks, he argued that, "Cooperation is therefore not an act of idealism. It is a practical necessity."
Polling released today by the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP) suggests Canadians strongly support applying that principle to Israeli-Palestinian peacebuilding as well. Seventy eight percent of Canadians surveyed support the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, a new multilateral mechanism Canada helped launch in June to invest in civil society organizations working across the conflict - including 63% of Conservative voters. Sixty one percent say Israeli-Palestinian peace should be a priority for Canadian foreign policy.
Support was particularly strong among younger Canadians: 90% of 18- to 24-year-olds backed the Fund, with the age group registering the highest support across every question in the poll.
The polling, conducted through ALLMEP's AI Pulse initiative, also points to strong support for diplomatic action. Asked what role Canada is best positioned to play in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts, 57% of Canadians chose diplomatic pressure, compared with just 7% who selected military options.
The findings also suggest Canadians want Canada to substantially increase its investment in the Fund. Canada's initial commitment when it joined the United Kingdom and Australia to launch the initiative was CAD $1.8 million over three years. Among respondents who expressed an opinion on the level of Canadian funding, 67% said Canada should invest at least CAD $50 million in the Fund, while 76% want Canada to convene an international pledging conference to bring other governments' funding to the table.
Canada joined the United Kingdom and Australia on June 11 in announcing the creation of the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, a mechanism first proposed by ALLMEP in 2004 and modeled on the International Fund for Ireland. The Fund is designed to invest at scale in Israeli and Palestinian organizations working to reduce violence, rebuild trust between communities and create the foundations on which a negotiated peace can take hold.
The polling also shows how directly Canadians feel the effects of the conflict at home, with 87% saying the conflict has had a tangible effect on life in Canada since October 2023, from tensions between communities to strains on political and public debate.
"Canadians across party lines are sending a clear message: don't just launch the Fund -- back it at scale," said John Lyndon, ALLMEP's Executive Director. "Humanitarian aid is essential, and very welcome. But this is not a natural disaster. It is a man-made political crisis, and we also need to invest in ending the conditions that keep producing it. Israeli and Palestinian peacebuilders are building the ideas, public support and political pressure that diplomacy needs to succeed -- so that one day humanitarian relief is no longer necessary, and Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace, security and equality."
Key findings
- 78% of Canadians support the creation of the International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, including 63% of Conservatives.
- 61% say Israeli-Palestinian peace should be a priority for Canadian foreign policy.
- 57% see diplomatic pressure as Canada's best contribution; only 7% point to military options.
- 87% say the conflict has had a tangible effect on life in Canada since October 2023.
- Among those with an opinion, 67% want Canada to invest at least CAD $50 million in the Fund, and 76% want Canada to host an international pledging conference.
- 90% of 18- to 24-year-olds back the Fund, with the age group registering the highest support across every measure surveyed.
About AI Pulse
AI Pulse is ALLMEP's polling and dialogue platform, built with Remesh AI, that measures Israeli, Palestinian, and international public opinion on the conflict and the case for peacebuilding. This survey polled 944-1,028 Canadians (sample size varies by question) between July 8 and 27, 2026, drawn from Prolific, a nationally representative online panel calibrated to the 2021 Canadian census, with a margin of error of ±3.2% at the 95% confidence level. AI Pulse findings have previously informed discussions at the Paris Peace Forum, the UN General Assembly, the U.S. State Department, and the UK Foreign Office. The full report is available at allmep.org/ai-pulse.
About ALLMEP
The Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP) is a coalition of more than 200 Israeli and Palestinian organizations working to build the civil society infrastructure that lasting peace requires. ALLMEP works to ensure that the people and organizations reducing violence, building trust, and creating partnership between Israelis and Palestinians on the ground are recognized, connected, and resourced by governments and donors worldwide. Learn more at allmep.org.
Media Contact
Noga Malkin
Director of Communications
[email protected], +353899482601
SOURCE Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP)
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