WASHINGTON, D.C. — Forty-one p.c of Americans now say they sympathize extra with the Palestinians in the Middle East state of affairs, whereas 36% sympathize extra with the Israelis. The five-percentage-point distinction just isn’t statistically vital, but it surely contrasts with a transparent lead for the Israelis solely a yr in the past (46% vs. 33%) and bigger leads over the prior 24 years.
From 2001 to 2025, Israelis persistently held double-digit leads in Americans’ Middle East sympathies, with the hole averaging 43 factors between 2001 and 2018. However, public opinion started narrowing in 2019, a number of years earlier than the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel and the following conflict in Gaza. The cumulative impact of gradual modifications in U.S. attitudes since then has led to the Israelis now not being considered extra sympathetically.
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As is typical for this pattern, a big section of Americans categorical no partiality towards the 2 sides in the Middle East battle: 4% say they sympathize with each equally, 9% with neither, and 10% don’t have any opinion.
Since Gallup’s prior replace of this measure in February 2025, a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took impact on Oct. 10, 2025. The first section of the ceasefire, contingent upon the discharge of Israeli hostages held in Gaza in change for Palestinian detainees in Israel, was accomplished in January. The second section is now targeted on reconstruction and demilitarization in Gaza, although either side have accused one another of repeated breaches of the truce.
In phrases of Americans’ separate favorable rankings of the 2 international locations, the newest ballot additionally finds a brand new excessive of 37% viewing the Palestinian Territories favorably, though nonetheless trailing Israel’s 46%. The 57% of Americans in favor of an impartial Palestinian state almost matches a studying from 2003 as the very best Gallup has measured.
Independents’ Sympathies Shift Toward Palestinians in Past Year
Americans’ shifting sympathies in the Middle East state of affairs this yr are largely pushed by modifications amongst political independents. By 41% to 30%, independents say they sympathize extra with the Palestinians than the Israelis, whereas in all prior years, they had been extra sympathetic towards the Israelis, together with by 42% to 34% final yr.
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Democrats’ sympathies haven’t modified considerably over the previous yr, having already flipped strongly towards the Palestinians in 2025 after first tilting that method in 2023. Currently, 65% of Democrats say their sympathies lie extra with the Palestinians, whereas 17% say they sympathize extra with the Israelis.
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Republicans proceed to precise higher sympathy for the Israelis than the Palestinians. Seven in 10 Republicans (70%) say they sympathize extra with the Israelis, in contrast with 13% who sympathize extra with the Palestinians. Although this stays a considerable hole, sympathy for the Israelis amongst Republicans has declined by 10 factors since 2024 to its lowest stage since 2004.
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Shift Toward Sympathy With Palestinians Seen Across All Age Groups
Americans of all age teams have grown extra sympathetic to the Palestinians in current years. Among these aged 18 to 34, 53% say they sympathize extra with the Palestinians, marking the primary time a majority of this age group has expressed this view. Meanwhile, 23% of younger adults say they sympathize extra with the Israelis, a file low for the age group.
Views amongst these aged 35 to 54 have additionally shifted decisively. In 2026, 46% say they sympathize extra with the Palestinians, in contrast with 28% who sympathize extra with the Israelis. This is a close to reversal of opinion amongst this age group in contrast with 2025, when 45% gave extra sympathy to the Israelis and 33% to the Palestinians.
Among adults aged 55 and older, 49% sympathize extra with the Israelis and 31% with the Palestinians, the primary time since 2005 that lower than half of older Americans have stated they sympathize extra with the Israelis. The 18-point lead for the Israelis additionally represents the narrowest hole in sympathies recorded for this age group.
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Israel’s Favorability Drops as Palestinian Territories’ Rises
Additionally, Gallup measures Americans’ total views of Israel and the Palestinian Territories — as both favorable or unfavorable — as a part of its annual rankings of nations.
In the previous yr, Americans’ favorability towards Israel has declined, whereas their view of the Palestinian Territories has improved. Still, Americans retain a extra optimistic view of Israel, with 46% viewing it favorably, than of the Palestinian Territories, at 37%.
Historically, Americans have rated Israel way more favorably than the Palestinian Territories (or “the Palestinian Authority,” because the merchandise was worded from 2000 to 2024). Israel’s favorable ranking has now declined to close its historic low (45%, measured in 1989), whereas rankings of the Palestinian Territories have improved to a brand new excessive level.
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For the primary time on file, as many independents maintain a really or largely favorable view of the Palestinian Territories as they do of Israel (each 41%). Over the previous yr, independents’ favorability towards Israel has declined six factors, whereas their favorability towards the Palestinian Territories has risen by 10. Looking at an extended timeframe, nevertheless, the shift is extra pronounced on the Israel aspect. Since February 2023 — the final measurement earlier than the Oct. 7 assaults — independents’ favorability towards Israel has dropped 26 factors, in contrast with a 12-point enhance in their favorability towards the Palestinian Territories.
Among Democrats, the Palestinian Territories have held an edge in favorability since 2025. This yr, 48% of Democrats view the Palestinian Territories favorably, in contrast with 34% for Israel, broadly in line with final yr. Republicans stay essentially the most pro-Israel partisan group, with 69% holding a positive view, although that determine has fallen 15 factors from 2025 to its lowest stage in over 20 years. Meanwhile, a gradual 18% of Republicans view the Palestinian Territories favorably, recovering from a file low of 5% in 2024.
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Support for Palestinian State Matches 23-Year High
A 57% majority of U.S. adults say they favor the institution of an impartial Palestinian state alongside Israel — also known as a “two-state solution” — whereas 28% oppose it and 15% don’t have an opinion. Public opinion on this query has shifted much less over current years than sympathies or favorable rankings. The 57% who favor a two-state resolution in 2026 is just like the 55% recorded in each 2023 and 2025, and it almost matches the record-high 58% of Americans who favored the creation of an impartial Palestinian state in 2003.
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Support for a two-state resolution is highest amongst Democrats, at 77%, and a majority of independents (57%) share that view. Both figures are typically in line with what Gallup has measured since 2023.
Republican help has fluctuated notably in current years. It declined from 43% earlier than the Oct. 7 assaults to 26% afterward — the most important single-year drop recorded for any get together group on this measure. Support then elevated to 41% in 2025 earlier than declining once more to 33% in 2026.
With the exception of 2024, the present 44-point hole between Democrats and Republicans is the widest Gallup has recorded on this query.
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U.S. adults stay way more supportive of a two-state resolution than Israelis or Palestinians themselves, as measured in Gallup’s World Poll. In 2025 polling, 27% of Israelis and 33% of Palestinians residing in the West Bank and East Jerusalem stated they might help such a proposal.
Bottom Line
U.S. public opinion towards the Israeli-Palestinian battle has shifted in the previous 12 months, and for the primary time in Gallup’s annual measurement since 2001, Americans’ sympathies now not lie extra with the Israelis than the Palestinians. This shift displays substantial motion amongst independents, now becoming a member of Democrats in expressing extra sympathy for the Palestinian folks.
At the identical time, Americans nonetheless have a extra favorable view of Israel, as a rustic, than of the Palestinian Territories, although views of Israel are among the many least favorable Gallup has measured traditionally. Meanwhile, views of the Palestinian Territories are essentially the most optimistic so far, albeit nonetheless unfavorable total.
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