For example, in February, when Gallup asked with whom they most sympathised, 41 per cent of respondents said Palestinians, while only 36pc named Israel. This markedly contrasts with results to Gallup’s same question in 2023 when 54pc of respondents sympathised more with Israel and 36pc more with Palestinians.
Then, a few weeks ago, Pew released a poll in which 60pc of respondents had an unfavourable view of Israel.
To better understand these changes in voters’ opinions, the roles played by Israel’s wars with Lebanon and the Palestinians in shaping their views, and how voters want the US government and members of Congress to respond, the Arab American Institute and Voters for Justice in Palestine, a North Carolina advocacy group, commissioned John Zogby Strategies to conduct a nationwide poll about these matters. In all, 1,001 likely US voters were surveyed (yielding results with a margin of error of +/-3.2).
What’s clear is that Israeli behaviours have fallen into disfavour with a plurality of American voters. Overall, 41pc voters agree that Israeli actions against Palestinians are ‘excessive and tantamount to genocide’. Only 32pc disagree with that proposition. The margin among Democrats is substantially greater, with 57pc agreeing that ‘genocide’ applies to Israel’s actions, while only 17pc disagree. Responses about whether the US should do more to pressure Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian lands yield similar results.
On these issues and others relating to Israeli behaviours consistent opposition to Israel policies is expressed—mainly by Democrats or Independents. The subgroups leading the opposition are younger or non-white voters. There’s a deep demographic split among voters who identify as Republicans, with younger Republicans (under 45 years old) expressing negative attitudes towards Israeli actions that are more aligned with Democrats than with older Republicans. In fact, in response to almost every question in the poll, the only real support base on which Israel can depend are older, white Republican voters – a group that’s a dwindling minority in the overall electorate.
The poll also demonstrates the electoral consequences associated with voters’ changing attitudes. A plurality of all voters say they’d be more likely to support candidates who call for a reduction or an end to military aid to Israel (45pc to 27pc) or who reject funding or support from AIPAC-related sources (36pc to 22pc). Rejection is highest (substantially greater than two-to-one) among Democrats, Independents, and non-white voters.
One area where majorities of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents (and all major demographic subgroups) agree is that Israel should be held accountable and prosecuted for the killing of US citizens. Fifty-eight per cent of all likely voters believe Israel should be held accountable versus only 16pc who don’t want them prosecuted.
Similar results emerge when voters turn to addressing Israel’s bombing and occupation of Lebanon. By a two-to-one margin, likely US voters believe the administration should do more to pressure Israel to stop the bombing and leave southern Lebanon. By a similar margin, voters express the concern that Israel’s bombing and occupation of Lebanon is harming US interests in the Middle East. And these margins hold for every major demographic group except Republicans, who are divided.
While voters are decidedly negative about Israeli behaviours and support US policy to restrain Israel and hold it accountable for its actions, the poll also establishes that a sizable minority (between one-quarter and one-third of respondents) acknowledge that they’d need more information before making decisions about some of the policy issues at stake.
As the midterm elections approach, signs are emerging that voters’ alienation of affection from Israel, its leadership and policies are already impacting Congress and the upcoming elections.
This past month, 40 of 47 US senators who are Democrats or caucus with the Democrats (including the majority of Jewish senators) voted to block some military supplies to Israel – an unprecedented number of elected officials to take such a stand in an election year.
Scores of members of Congress have publicly pledged to reject the support of the powerful pro-Israel lobby in their re-election bids, including some who’d once been major recipients of funds from pro-Israel donors.
These dramatic and consequential developments are important to note moving forward.
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