Most American adults under 30 hold unfavorable views of Israel, according to a new Pew report released ahead of President Biden's trip this week to the Middle East.
The big picture: While 55% of Americans view Israel favorably and 74% believe U.S.-Israel relations are in a good place, those views vary starkly by generation and political affiliation.
- More Republicans (71% favorable) than Democrats (44%) hold positive views of Israel.
- While most 18 to 29-year-olds view the Israeli people favorably (56%), it's also the only age group that views the Palestinian people more favorably (61%).
Israelis, meanwhile, overwhelmingly view the U.S. favorably (83%) — a finding that has hardly changed for a decade and is consistent across age groups. About 89% believe the U.S.-Israeli relationship is in a good place.
- Yes, but: 59% of Arab-Israelis, who are also known as Palestinian citizens of Israel and comprise about one-fifth of the population, view the U.S. unfavorably, compared to just 6% of Jewish Israelis.
- 60% of Israelis have confidence in Biden, down from 71% under Donald Trump in 2019 but higher than in Barack Obama toward the end of his presidency.
- Palestinians were not polled in this survey.
Driving the news: Biden will arrive in Israel on Wednesday for meetings and events with Israeli leaders. He'll travel to Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank on Friday to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and will also announce $100 million in aid to Palestinian hospitals in East Jerusalem during the trip.
- Biden's last stop in the region will be Saudi Arabia, and include a controversial meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
State of play: Biden promised during the campaign to reset relations with the Palestinians, which broke down under Trump. But he has yet to deliver on his key promise to reopen the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem.
- A majority of Americans say they're not sure whether Biden favors the Israelis over the Palestinians or vice versa.
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