For decades, the public has sympathized with Israel over the Palestinians and that remains the case today. Overall, five times more Americans sympathize with Israel than the Palestinians. In a survey conducted after last month’s conflict between Israel and Hamas forces in Gaza, 50% said they sympathize more with Israel, compared with just 10% who said they sympathize more with the Palestinians. Almost a quarter (23%) did not offer an opinion while 13% volunteered that they sympathize with neither side, and 4% said both. In May, 48% sided with Israel compared to 11% who backed the Palestinians.
There continue to be stark partisan differences in Middle East sympathies. Conservative Republicans maintain strong support for Israel, with fully 75% saying they sympathize with Israel compared with just 2% who sympathize with the Palestinians. By contrast, liberal Democrats are much more divided: 33% sympathize more with Israel, 22% with the Palestinians. Independents sympathize more with Israel by a 47% to 13% margin.
Among religious groups, white evangelical Protestants remain strongly supportive of Israel. Two-thirds (67%) say they sympathize more with Israel; only 5% say they sympathize more with the Palestinians. Opinion among other religious groups is more mixed. Catholics, for example, offer more sympathy for Israel than the Palestinians by a 44% to 11% margin. Read more
