Dip in US support for Israel's strategy in Gaza - Gallup poll
As Israel approaches half a year since the launch of its ground operations in Gaza in response to Hamas' brutal Oct. 7 attack on Israel, the results of a new Gallup poll reveal a significant shift in American public opinion. Many Americans no longer approve of Israel’s actions in the war, with support decreasing among Democrats, Republicans and independents alike, according to Newsweek Magazine, which noted the decline in levels of support compared to December.
In December, Israel’s approach to the war in Gaza had the support of the majority of Americans, however, now “a majority, 55%, disapprove of Israel's actions, while 36% approve.”
Although a clear division persists between Republicans and Democrats – with the majority of Republicans still supporting Israel’s actions and most Democrats opposing them – a significant percentage of individuals from both parties who previously supported Israel’s actions in Gaza, no longer do.
Seventy-five percent of Democrats now disapprove of Israel’s conduct, with only 18% approving, representing a drop of 18 percentage points in approval among Democrats since December.
Among Republicans, approval has dropped by 7 percentage points, with 30% disapproving and 64% approving.
With decreasing support from the American public, and a number of Western nations now openly considering the recognition of a Palestinian state in the near future, it remains to be seen whether international pressure will cause Israel to change its military strategy in Gaza.
While Israel has achieved some of its military objectives, it has struggled to justify its actions to much of the international community, including its most important ally, the United States.
Israel's Ynet news outlet quoted senior Israeli officials saying that such significant changes to Israel’s reputation abroad are unlikely to go away soon.
“It will take many years, perhaps even decades, to repair the reputational damage caused to Israel in recent months,” the officials said.
“These are deep, destructive processes that take a long time to fix.”
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
