OPINIONS OF AMERICAN YOUNG ADULTS ABOUT ISRAEL PLUMMET: POLL

Mon 04 March 2024:

A new Gallup poll finds Americans’ opinions of Israel have gone down in the past year.

According to the poll, 58 percent of Americans have a positive view of Israel, down from 68 percent last year, “the lowest favorable rating for Israel in over two decades”.

The demographic that has seen the greatest swing on Israel is young adults aged 18 to 34. Their positive opinions dropped from 64 percent to 38 percent in the past year.

The poll also found that positive opinions of the Palestinian Authority (PA) dropped from 26 percent to 18 percent, the lowest since 2015.

More Americans View Conflict as Critical U.S. Threat

Amid the fighting between Israel and Hamas, 52% of Americans now view the conflict as a critical threat to U.S. vital interests. This is up sharply from 35% two years ago, the last time Gallup asked the question, and is the highest since the initial measure in 2004, when 58% said the conflict was a critical threat.

Another 38% of Americans believe the Middle East conflict is an important threat to U.S. vital interests, while 8% say it is not an important threat. Most of the movement in the past two years has occurred between the “critical threat” and “important threat” categories.

No Consensus on Which Side U.S. Should Pressure More for a Resolution

Although Americans say they are more sympathetic to the Israelis than the Palestinians, they divide almost evenly when asked whether the U.S. should put more pressure on the Palestinians (39%) or Israelis (36%) to resolve the conflict. Eight percent say the U.S. should put more pressure on both sides, 7% say it should put pressure on neither, and 9% have no opinion.

When Gallup has asked this question before, prior to the current war, the margin in favor of putting pressure on the Palestinians has been larger, ranging from nine to 23 points.

Americans Less Optimistic About Peace, Still Favor Two-State Solution

In February 2023, several months before the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, Americans were divided evenly on whether Israel and the Arab nations would ever be able to settle their differences and live in peace. Americans are somewhat less optimistic this year — 42% expect there to be peace, and 53% do not.

Americans have been much more pessimistic about Middle East peace in the past than they are now. For example, in 2006, a record-low 27% thought peace in the region was possible.

Americans’ Views on an Independent Palestinian State

There are vast political differences on this matter — 74% of Democrats, 55% of independents and 26% of Republicans are in favor of creating an independent Palestinian state. A majority of Republicans, 59%, oppose the idea. Republicans have been more likely to oppose than favor the establishment of a Palestinian state since 2012.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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