According to a Gallup survey released on Friday, Americans are showing unprecedented levels of empathy for Palestinians, surpassing their support for Israelis in the Middle East conflict. This shift comes in the wake of the devastating Gaza war.
Public opinions regarding the Middle East conflict are sharply divided along party lines, with the recent changes reflecting a growing detachment from Israel among independent voters over the past year.The survey indicates that 41% of Americans now feel more empathy for Palestinians, while 36% support Israel. The remaining respondents are either undecided or express empathy for both sides or neither.
While this statistical gap is not overwhelmingly significant, it marks the first time in over two decades that Gallup has posed this question without Israel leading in empathy. This represents a stark contrast to just a year ago when support for Israel stood at 46% compared to 33% for Palestinians.When independent voters—those without party affiliation—were asked about their sympathies 11% sided more with Palestinians. Meanwhile Republican supporters of Donald Trump continue to show strong backing for Israel with 70% expressing support despite a 10% decline over the past decade. Democratic views towards Israel have increasingly soured since a decade ago when Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly clashed with then-President Barack Obama over diplomacy with Iran.
