Poll shows American support for Israel drops to record low, sympathy for Palestinians reaches all-time high

A recent Gallup poll released on Thursday shows that less than half of Americans now sympathize more with Israelis than Palestinians, marking the lowest level of support for Israelis since at least 2001. The survey was conducted Feb. 3-16, during the first phase of the temporary ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The poll revealed that 46% of respondents feel more sympathy for Israelis, while 33% lean more toward the Palestinians. The 13-point difference is the narrowest since at least 2001, when 51% of people sided more with Israelis and just 16% with Palestinians.

Support for Israelis has declined in recent years, partly due to the right-wing government in Israel and the ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza, which followed the group's attack on Oct. 7, 2023, and resulted in the killing of some 1,200 Israelis and internationals and the kidnapping of 251 people into Gaza.

The health ministry run by Hamas says more than 48,000 people in the Strip have been killed or are presumed dead in the fighting so far. However, this figure cannot be independently verified and does not distinguish between civilians and fighters.

Ten years ago, 62% of respondents expressed more sympathy for Israelis, while only 16% leaned toward the Palestinians. In 2022, the gap was 55% to 26%.

This year, the shift is even more pronounced among Democrats, where Palestinians now receive significantly more sympathy. Only 21% say they sympathize more with Israelis, while 59% feel more sympathy for the Palestinians.

This marks a significant change from 2022, when Democratic sympathies were nearly split, with 40% leaning toward Israelis and 38% toward Palestinians. In the previous year, it was 43% for Palestinians and 38% for Israelis. Polls from over a decade ago consistently showed Democrats favoring Israelis by large margins.

The results showed that only 33% of Democrats view Israel favorably, compared to 83% of Republicans.

This week's poll showed that Republican support for Israelis has remained largely unchanged, with 75% sympathizing more with Israel and just 10% with the Palestinians. Among independents, the split was 42% for Israelis and 34% for Palestinians.

The poll also revealed that 55% of Americans, along with majorities of Democrats and independents, back the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. However, only 41% of Republicans support this idea.

Additionally, the poll found that just 40% of respondents approve of how President Donald Trump is handling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.