For more than two decades, one number barely moved. In survey after survey, Americans said they sympathized more with Israel than with the Palestinians in the long-running conflict. That pattern has now broken.
For the first time since Gallup began asking the question more than 20 years ago, more Americans say they sympathize with the Palestinians than with Israelis, according to a new poll released Friday.
Overall, 41 percent of Americans say their sympathies lie more with the Palestinians, compared to 36 percent who say they side with Israel. The remaining respondents say they are undecided or sympathize with both sides or neither.
The five-point gap is not statistically significant. But symbolically, it marks a striking shift. Just one year ago, Israel held a 13-point advantage in American sympathies, 46 percent to 33 percent.
The change reflects a sharp partisan divide and a notable shift among independents.
Republicans remain firmly in Israels camp. In the latest poll, 70 percent of Republicans say they sympathize more with Israel, compared to far smaller shares backing the Palestinians. Still, that support has slipped by 10 percentage points over the past decade, suggesting a gradual erosion even within the GOPs traditionally pro-Israel base.
Democrats, by contrast, overwhelmingly side with the Palestinians. Sixty-five percent of Democrats say they sympathize more with the Palestinian people, while just 17 percent say they side with Israel a dramatic inversion of historic party alignments from previous decades.
Independents appear to be driving the overall shift. Among voters who do not identify with either major party, sympathies tilt toward the Palestinians by 11 percentage points.
The numbers underscore how the Middle East conflict has become one of the most polarized foreign policy issues in American politics. What was once a broad bipartisan consensus in favor of Israel has fractured along partisan lines, reshaping public opinion in ways that would have been difficult to imagine even a decade ago.
While the margin in this years poll falls within the surveys statistical bounds, the directional change is unmistakable. For the first time in the modern polling era, Israel no longer holds the upper hand in American sympathies.
Whether the shift proves temporary or signals a lasting realignment in U.S. public opinion remains to be seen.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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10 Responses
“For the first time”
How many Americans know or care, let alone have an opinion, about the far bloodier conflicts going on in Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Nigeria, and more? The last two conflicts involve Muslims killing Christians. But who even knows, let alone cares?
Over 2 million Arabs live in Israel freely jobs schools medical etc. If ever a Jew steps into Arab territory they’re in major danger. How can the world be sooo inhumane after they beheaded babies raped etc. Israel is trying to uproot the terrorists for self defense
To be fair, America has been under siege from rioters, anarchy, and crime for so many years now, it is no surprise they sympathize with those who are rioters, and so forth.
But, it also doesn’t take into account the amount of rogue public school teachers who indoctrinate kids when they go off script. Showing fake videos of Jenin during math class for example. There are things that go on that the NYTimes and philanthropists don’t see.
Why does a far bloodied conflict justify this one? Lol
Its all from Heaven. If we dont follow the Torah than Heaven turns the nations against us. If we talk during davening and talk about business on Shabbos what do you expect. If we neglect to reach out and bring back the five million Jews in America to Torah then we suffer same faith. Before the holocaust the vast majority of Frum communities did not reach out to bring back our lost brethren. It was only after the ww2 that the freirediga Lubavtcher rebbe began outreach. His son in law the next rebbe took it to a higher level. Today outreach and inreach has become certainly more mainstream. But yet there are many off the derech around. The entire phenomenon we see today about anti semitism on the college campuses is to wake up sleeping young Jews to their faith.
It was only after the ww2 that the freirediga Lubavtcher rebbe began outreach.
That is not true at all.
Flatbush yid. God is not an angry or punishing God he doesn’t take human nature and punish us for being human. Davening can be boring and people tend to shmooze cuz that’s where they gather. God is a just God and unless your doing something truly _evil_ like being cruel to others and scorning people not like you, or treating people badly, or allowing aragence and materialism take hold only then will he hold you accountable. Your making people feel guilty for things that is human nature.
There is specific passages in the Torah that states clearly what angers God.
Like treating the poor person badly
Like persecuting the fatherless, and the poor
Aragence
Haughtiness
Thinking your better then everybody
That is bad behavior. “Talking” in shul doesn’t deserve “punishment” that’s misusing or misconstruing what needs true justice which comes from evil or bad _behavior_ that warrents a necessary repremand. Being bored during davening is human nature. Please stop
And brining people back from the fold….that’s not our responsibility our responsibility is to uphold morality and be a beacon of light unto the nations. When we fail at being decent we get what we deserve. Until then that’s just guilt tripping
And _if_ your seeing antisemitism you should look at your behaviour. Not “bored” behaviour or natural human nature but behaviour that may or may not affect others badly or cruel behavior that would make anyone angry including God. God fallows common sense, right and wrong. Not guilt tripping ideology. He is just and will uphold and repremand all unjust behaviour. You need to realize that right and wrong has consenquences. Talking in shul might be politically incorrect but I wouldn’t put that on the moral scale of good versus evil.