U.S. Public Now More Sympathetic to Palestinians

A New York Times/Siena poll of 1,313 registered voters finds U.S. support for Israel fell from 47% in December 2023 to 34% while 35% now sympathize more with Palestinians — the first time since 1998 that more Americans back Palestinians than Israelis. The survey showed growing opposition to further U.S. economic and military aid to Israel; about six in 10 voters said Israel should end its campaign in Gaza to prevent civilian casualties and 40% said they believe Israel is intentionally killing civilians. The decline is driven largely by Democrats and younger voters: 54% of Democrats now sympathize more with Palestinians, and a Yale Buckley Institute poll found roughly one-third of undergraduates view Palestinians as a better U.S. ally than Israel. Republicans remain more supportive of Israel (about 64% vs. 9% for Palestinians) but their backing has eased modestly since 2023. The shift is amplifying domestic political pressure amid an almost two-year Gaza war that health officials say has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians and left much of the territory devastated.