Majority of Americans now oppose Israeli action in Gaza: Gallup poll
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President Biden with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv in October 2023. Photo: Miriam Alster/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
A majority of Americans disapprove of Israel's military actions in Gaza, in a stark shift since last fall, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday.
Why it matters: The new findings come as Israel prepares for a controversial ground invasion of Rafah. Tensions have grown between President Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the humanitarian toll of Israel's war has mounted.
Driving the news: 55% of Americans disapprove of Israel's military response in Gaza, a 10-percentage point increase since November, according to the new poll.
- About one in three (36%) of Americans approve of Israel's military actions in Gaza, according to the new poll.
- That's down from the aftermath of Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, when a November poll found that half of Americans approved of Israel's actions.
Zoom in: Among Republicans, the percentage who approve of Israel's actions has dropped from 71% in November to 64% in March, the poll found.
- The dip is even sharper among among Democrats. Fewer than one in five (18%) say they approve of Israel's actions. That's down from 36% in November.
- Among people who identify as independents, the approval rating has dropped from 47% to 29% in the span.
State of play: It's the latest evidence of shifting public opinion on the Israel-Hamas war.
- Half of U.S. adults believe that Israel's military response in Gaza has "gone too far," a poll published in early February found.
- More Americans support providing humanitarian aid to people in Gaza than military support to Israel, a separate survey this month showed.
The big picture: Biden has grown increasingly frustrated with Netanyahu and Israel's actions during the war.
- Earlier this week, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
- In another sign of the widening divide between the U.S. and Israel, the U.S. abstained from the vote, rather than use its veto. Netanyahu canceled a visit by his senior advisers to the White House afterwards.
Methodology: This poll was conducted between March 1-20, 2024 with 1,016 adults. The margin of error is +/- 4 percentage points.
