Are Americans more sympathetic to Israelis or Palestinians? Poll finds shift from 2024

American sympathy for Israelis has dropped to its lowest level in 25 years, while sympathy for Palestinians now stands at a record high, according to new polling.

In the latest Gallup poll, 46% of respondents said that, when it comes to the “Middle East situation,” their sympathies lie more with Israelis than Palestinians.

While still a plurality, this figure marks the first time since 2001 — when Gallup began asking this question — that American sympathy for Israelis has fallen below 50%. And it continues a yearslong trend in declining sympathy for Israelis, which stood at 51% in 2024 and 54% in 2023.

In contrast, 33% of respondents said their sentiments lie more with Palestinians, marking the highest share since 2001. Primary affiliation with Palestinians has been trending upward in recent years, though it dropped from 31% to 27% in 2024.

The poll — which sampled 1,004 U.S. adults between Feb. 3 and 16 — comes amid the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, which has resulted in the deaths of about 48,000 Palestinians, many of whom were women and children, according to Reuters. The current conflict began when Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing about 1,200 people, most of whom were civilians, according to the Associated Press.

Currently, a temporary ceasefire — which began in mid-January — largely remains in effect, but is in danger of collapsing, according to the New York Times.

Partisan breakdown

The recent shift in sympathy is largely due to changing attitudes among Democrats and independents, both of whom now express record high support for Palestinians and record low support for Israelis.

For the first time, a majority of Democrats, 59%, now side with the Palestinians, which is up from 43% in 2024. Just 21% now side with the Israelis, which is down from 35% in 2024, according to the poll, which has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Among independents, a plurality, 42%, sympathize with Israelis, which is down from 44% in 2024. And 34% sympathize with Palestinians — up from 31% in 2024.

Republicans, meanwhile, have remained steadfast in their support for Israelis. Seventy-five percent sympathize with them, while just 10% sympathize with Palestinians. These figures have largely remained constant in recent years.

Support for a two-state solution

Currently, 55% of Americans support a two-state solution — which would involve the creation of a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank. Thirty-one percent oppose this plan.

The results are largely in line with those from previous years, with a majority of Americans having supported a two state solution since 2020.

Here, there was also a stark partisan divide.

Most Democrats and independents — 76% and 53%, respectively — favor a two state solution. Meanwhile, 41% of Republicans support this plan, while a plurality, 49%, are opposed.

“Discussion of a two-state approach for achieving peace in the region is largely on hold following the Oct. 7, 2023, attack, as world leaders wrestle with how Israel’s safety will be secured after the war, what role Hamas will play in Gaza and how the West Bank will be governed,” according to Gallup.

This story was originally published March 7, 2025 at 9:34 AM with the headline "Are Americans more sympathetic to Israelis or Palestinians? Poll finds shift from 2024."