An annual survey by the American analytics company Gallup examining the attitudes of U.S. residents on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict published on Monday showed a decline in support for Israel among Americans.
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According to the survey, 58% of Americans have a "very favorable" or "mostly favorable" opinion of Israel, compared to 68% seen in 2022 and 75% in 2021. "This is the lowest favorable rating for Israel in over two decades," Gallup pollsters wrote in the report. Meanwhile, only 18% of Americans have a favorable opinion of the Palestinian Authority.
According to the survey, conducted from February 1 to 20, the main reason for the decline in favorable opinion about Israel is a sharp drop among the young population aged 18-34, from 64% who had a favorable opinion about Israel last year to 38% this year. Among those aged 54-35, there was a smaller but still significant decline, from 66% to 55%. Among older adults aged 55 and above, there was no significant change.
These changes result in a much wider gap between the opinion of young Americans and that of adults about Israel. While 2022 saw only a 10% gap between the youth’s opinion about Israel and that of adults, the gap now stands at 33%: Some 71% of adults have a favorable opinion about Israel, compared to only 38% among American youth.
However, Americans still identify with Israel more when compared to the Palestinian Authority: 51% identify with Israel compared to 27% siding with the Palestinians. This marks a slight change from last year’s poll when the result showed 54% for Israel versus 31% for Palestinians. Nevertheless, the gap in favor of Israel over the past two years is the lowest ever measured in Gallup surveys.
Some 53% of Americans continue to support the establishment of a Palestinian state, while 34% oppose it. This issue also demonstrates significant political differences within the U.S.: 74% of Democrats, 55% of Independents, and 26% of Republicans support a Palestinian state. 53% of American youth believe that the U.S. should exert more pressure on Israel at this time.
According to the survey, 52% of Americans now believe that the war in Gaza is “a critical threat to U.S. vital interests.” Two years ago, only 35% of Americans answered the same.