A new survey by the Gallup Institute shows a drastic change in the attitude of Democrat voters in the United States to both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For the first time since 2001, the year the survey was first conducted, the proportion of Democrats who feel sympathy with the Palestinians exceeds the proportion of those who sympathize with the Israelis; 49% lean towards supporting the Palestinian cause vs. just 38% still firmly sympathizing with Israel.
The results are a continuation of a prolonged decline in sympathy for Israel among Democrat voters in the US. In a 2016 survey, 53% of respondents said that they felt more identified with the Israelis compared to 23% who expressed identification with the Palestinians. Since then, the gap has narrowed, and now the turnaround is complete.
Gallup: Democrat sympathy for Israel and Palestine has essentially reversed in the last 7 years https://t.co/m2FoCrUvF7
— Not the Bee (@Not_the_Bee) March 16, 2023
It is worth noting that the progressive wing of the Democrat Party has been becoming more radical and pro-Palestinian over the years. Two of the prominent figures in this wing are Ilhan Omar and Rashida Talib, the two first Muslim legislators in Congress, who previously called for a boycott of Israel. Rashida Tlaib, the Michigan congresswoman, is a descendant of Palestinian refugees and represents an area with a large Muslim minority. On the other hand, the moderate democrats in the party remain largely pro-Israel, although clearly outspoken by the progressive movement.
Democrats are for the first time more likely to favor the Palestinians over Israelis in the Middle East conflict, a new Gallup poll found.
— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) March 16, 2023
The poll reflects the party leadership’s growing opposition to the Jewish state.
Via @alanagoodman https://t.co/n5UhQBwHRh
In 2021, after the end of the IDF Operation "Guardian of the Walls", a survey by the Associated Press and the NORC Institute was published which showed that 51% of Democrat voters want the US's treatment of the Palestinians to improve. The study did not define what improvements those polled would like to see.
The majority of Democrats who participated in the recent Gallup survey, just over 56%, still hold a positive opinion of Israel despite their support for Palestinians, which is a decrease compared to 63% last year.
🚨SHOCKING new Gallup poll finds more Dems now take sides against Israel.
— RJC (@RJC) March 16, 2023
RJC CEO @mbrooksrjc: "This is an extremely troubling trend...It’s long past time for Dem. leaders to admit they have a problem that must be addressed to restore the historic bipartisan support for Israel." pic.twitter.com/8pt1zk996F
Among Republicans, the large consensus supporting Israel has not changed much. 82% have a positive opinion of Israel and tend to support Israel in the ongoing conflict. 78% of Republicans lean towards the Israeli side compared to 11% who sympathize more with the Palestinians. Support for the Palestinians among independent voters, who have voted for both parties in recent years, reached 32% which is an all-time high. The changing dynamics surrounding Israel could be interpreted as a forecast for the future of relations between Israel and the US, in regards to both financial aid and even diplomatic ties severing.
