NOt so fast.
Majority in U.S. Now Disapprove of Israeli Action in Gaza
A majority of U.S. adults now disapprove of Israel's military action in Gaza, a shift from the prior survey in November.news.gallup.com
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- After narrowly backing Israel’s military action in Gaza in November, Americans now oppose the campaign by a solid margin. Fifty-five percent currently disapprove of Israel’s actions, while 36% approve.
The latest results are from a March 1-20 survey. The Israel-Hamas war has continued for five months and has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians and over 1,000 Israelis. Major parts of Gaza have been destroyed, complicating efforts to deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians still living there. The United Nations and international community, including the Biden administration, have called for a cease-fire, but the two warring sides have been unable to agree.
Middle East Sympathies Largely Unchanged by War
A separate question in the poll underscores Americans’ leanings toward Israel, as it finds 51% saying they sympathize more with the Israelis and 27% more with the Palestinians. The remainder say they sympathize equally with both sides (4%), do not sympathize with either side (10%) or do not have an opinion (8%).The balance of opinion is similar to last year, when 54% were more sympathetic to the Israelis and 31% to the Palestinians. This suggests that the recent actions by both sides have done little to shift U.S. loyalties, even if overall opinions toward both sides are less positive.
While Americans have always sympathized more with the Israelis, the gap has narrowed in recent years, with last year’s 23-point gap the smallest measured to date and this year’s nearly the same.
Americans' Views of Both Israel, Palestinian Authority Down
Americans' opinions of both Israel and the Palestinian Authority have declined in the past year, but they still view Israel much more positively.
news.gallup.com
