From axios.com
For the first time in 25 years of Gallup polling, more Americans say they sympathize with Palestinians than with Israelis — a striking shift in U.S. public opinion.
Why it matters: The reversal reflects a dramatic shift in attitudes toward Israel — a key U.S. ally — after its war with Hamas triggered a humanitarian crisis and reshaped the Middle East.
Context: The difference — 41% who sympathize more with the Palestinians versus 36% for the Israelis — is not statistically significant, Gallup notes.
- But the trend over the last year shows how suddenly U.S. public opinion has soured on Israel — slipping 10 percentage points in 12 months.
- At the same time, Israel’s favorable rating has declined to near its historical low in Gallup’s polling.
Zoom in: The shift in sympathies is largely driven by political independents, who reported more pro-Israel views in past-Gallup polling.
- Those surveyed now say they sympathize with Palestinians over Israelis 41% to 30%.
Worth noting: Seven in 10 Republicans still say they sympathize more with the Israelis.
- And overall, Americans still have a more positive view of Israel (46% view it favorably) than of the Palestinian Territories (37%).
The big picture: Since last year’s polling, a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire was struck and is now in its second phase. However, deadly Israeli strikes have continued.
- Nearly the entire population of Gaza was displaced by the war, leaving hundreds of thousands exposed to the elements, according to the United Nations.
- Any hope for lasting peace depends on Hamas giving up its weapons and Israel pulling its troops back rather than trying to disarm Hamas by force, Axios’ Barak Ravid reported in January.
Methodology: The survey of 1,001 U.S. adults was conducted between Feb. 2-16 and has a margin of error of ±4 percentage points.
A record-low number of American adults support Israel’s military action in Gaza, per a Tuesday Gallup report.
The big picture: The drop in approval and a largely unfavorable view of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu coincide with a geopolitical sea change in attitudes toward Israel.
By the numbers: 32% of U.S. adults said they approve of Israel’s military action in Gaza, per Gallup, down from 42% in the prior poll in September.
- This marks the lowest approval rate of Israel’s war since November 2023, when Gallup first asked the survey question.
- 52% of Americans view Netanyahu unfavorably, while 29% said they view him favorably.
What they’re saying: “The increasingly skeptical and divided American public poses a challenge for Israeli leadership and U.S. policymakers who are seeking to navigate the conflict,” the Gallup report said.
State of play: Republican approval increased since September, while Democratic approval decreased.
- 71% of Republicans approve Israel’s military action as of this month, compared to 8% of Democrats.
- Approval also dropped among independents, from 41% in September to 25% this month.
Context: Americans supported Israel’s action in Gaza immediately following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in 2023, but disapproval has outpaced approval in each survey since that point.
Zoom out: Slightly more Americans approve of Israel’s military action in Iran more than Israel.
- 38% of U.S. adults said they approve in July polling.