For the first time in more than two decades of polling, a relative majority of Americans express more sympathy for the Palestinians than for Israel in the conflict between them, according to a survey published by the American opinion polling company Gallup.
According to the data, 41 percent of respondents say they sympathize more with the Palestinians, while 36 percent with Israel. The rest are undecided or say they support both sides or neither.
This is the first change since Gallup began asking this question more than 20 years ago that Israel no longer ranks at the top of the American public's favorability rankings. Just a year ago, Israel led with 46 percent to 33 percent for the Palestinians.
The poll shows strong political divisions. 65 percent of Democrats support the Palestinians, while only 17 percent support Israel. On the other hand, 70 percent of Republicans support Israel, although that percentage has fallen by about 10 percentage points over the past decade. Independents lean toward the Palestinians by an 11-point margin.
The change in positions comes at a time when the war in Gaza and the policies of Benjamin Netanyahu's government have deepened debates within the US, including criticism of recent administrations for how they have managed relations with Israel.
The survey was conducted with 1,001 American adults, through telephone interviews, between February 2–16.
