U.S. Gallup Poll Shock: Support for palestinians skyrockets as sympathy for Israel Hits record low

As tensions continue in the Middle East, a new Gallup poll reveals that while Americans remain more likely to sympathize with Israel than the Palestinians, the level of support for Israel has hit its lowest point in 25 years. According to the survey, only 46% of U.S. adults express sympathy for Israel, marking a significant drop from the previous low of 51% recorded in 2001 and 2024. This marks the lowest level in Gallup’s annual tracking of American sympathies in the region.

In contrast, 33% of Americans say they sympathize with the Palestinians, a rise of six percentage points from the previous year and the highest level in Gallup’s history of tracking these views (back in 2004 it was only 16% support!).

The poll, conducted between February 3-16, comes at a time when a temporary ceasefire and a hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas were ongoing, following a deadly attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023. The survey began just one day before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, where he joined President Donald Trump for a joint press conference. During the event, Trump outlined his intention for the U.S. to own and redevelop the Gaza Strip.

In addition to shifting sympathies, the poll also reveals that 40% of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of the situation between Israel and Palestine, trailing his overall job approval rating of 45%. However, there is a stark partisan divide in views, with Republicans more likely to support Israel, while Democrats lean heavily toward the Palestinians. Specifically, 83% of Republicans express favorability toward Israel, while only 33% of Democrats share this view. Conversely, 45% of Democrats view the Palestinians favorably, compared to just 18% of Republicans.

Partisan Divides in Middle East Sympathy

Republicans and Democrats have consistently differed in their sympathies toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with Republicans overwhelmingly backing Israel (75%) and Democrats favoring the Palestinians (59%). Among independents, views are more in line with national averages, with 53% sympathizing with Israel and 30% with Palestinians.

This trend is especially notable in the context of Democratic views. Initially, Democrats were aligned with Israel until 2022, when their sympathies began to shift in favor of Palestinians. This shift accelerated after the 2023 Hamas attack, with Democrats’ sympathy for Palestinians rising further. February 2023 saw 49% of Democrats sympathizing with Palestinians, marking the first time in Gallup’s history that Palestinian sympathies outpaced Israeli sympathies within this group. By February 2024, this support had grown to a majority level, with 59% of Democrats sympathizing with the Palestinians.

Americans Continue to Support Two-State Solution

Despite the shifting sympathies in the region, a majority of Americans still support the idea of a two-state solution. Gallup has measured U.S. views on this proposal since 1999, and currently, 55% of Americans support the establishment of a Palestinian state, while 31% oppose it. This level of support is consistent with readings from the past few years.

Democrats, who have increasingly shown sympathy for Palestinians, are overwhelmingly in favor of a Palestinian state, with 76% supporting its creation. Independents are somewhat supportive, with 53% in favor, while Republicans are more divided, with 41% supporting the idea and 49% opposing it.