Nearly All Americans Sympathize With Israelis, With Sympathy Also Strong for Palestinians: Poll

A new survey found that 96 percent of Americans feel sympathetic to the Israeli people, and 87 percent feel sympathetic to the Palestinians.

AP/Lindsey Wasson, file
The flag of Israel at a rally October 9, 2023, at Bellevue, Washington. AP/Lindsey Wasson, file

An overwhelming majority of Americans feel sympathy for the Israeli people in its war with Hamas, according to a new poll from CNN and SSRS.

The survey of 1,003 American adults found that 96 percent of Americans report feeling sympathy for the “Israeli people,” with 71 percent saying they feel “a lot” of support and 25 percent reporting feeling “some.”

The survey also found that 87 percent of respondents felt sympathy for the “Palestinian people,” with 41 percent reporting feeling “a lot” of support and 46 percent reporting feeling “some.”

The poll specifically asked about sympathies for the “Israeli people” and the “Palestinian people” rather than combatants.

In terms of support for the Israeli government’s response to the attacks by Hamas, 71 percent reported feeling that the response is justified, with 50 percent saying it is “fully” justified and 20 percent saying it is “partially” justified. Another 8 percent said it was “not at all” justified, and 21 percent were not sure.

Americans were more divided in their thoughts about whether America is providing the correct amount of support for Israel, with 15 percent saying it is providing “too much,” 14 percent saying it is providing “too little,” and 35 percent saying the level of support is “about right.” Another 36 percent were unsure.

Two-thirds, 66 percent, of Americans also reported being “very” or “somewhat” concerned that “fighting between Israel and Hamas will lead to terrorism in the U.S.”

The CNN and SSRS poll was conducted on October 12 and 13 and had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 points. Other surveys conducted by other pollsters have reported similar results.

An NPR, PBS NewsHour, and Marist Poll of 1,313 Americans released Friday found that 65 percent of respondents think that America should “publicly support” Israel, 23 percent think America should “say or do nothing,” and 8 percent think America should “publicly criticize Israel.”

“Israel is clearly winning in the court of public opinion,” pollster Lee Miringoff said. “Digging down, even though few Republicans give Biden high marks, his approach to the war is viewed more favorably by the GOP than his overall job performance. The opposite is the case for Democrats who view Biden’s job performance more positively than his handling of the war.”

In terms of support for President Biden’s handling of the situation, the Marist Poll survey found that a majority of Americans disapprove of his handling of the situation, while 44 percent approve.


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