Americans Now Favor Palestinians Over Israelis for First Time

For the first time in two decades, American public opinion has shifted against one of the country's closest allies. A new Gallup poll found 41% of Americans now sympathize more with Palestinians compared to 36% with Israelis—a historic reversal that signals the end of a long-standing bipartisan consensus on Middle East policy.

The Speed of Change

The shift happened faster than most anticipated. Just last year, Israel held a comfortable lead with 46% American support versus 33% for Palestinians. That 13-point advantage has become a 5-point deficit in just 12 months—an 18-point swing that represents one of the most dramatic opinion reversals in modern polling.

The most striking change came among independents, who flipped from 42-34% in Israel's favor last year to 41-30% supporting Palestinians now. Even Republican support for Israel, while still strong, dropped by 10 percentage points since 2024.

Age demographics tell an even starker story. Young Republicans who once supported Israel at 69% (2018-2020) now register only 52% support (2024-2026). Among young Democrats, Israeli support has collapsed to just 11%.

The Unraveling of Bipartisan Consensus

This isn't just a polling blip—it's the breakdown of a 20-year foreign policy consensus. The transformation began as Benjamin Netanyahu's government increasingly aligned itself with the Republican Party, abandoning the traditional bipartisan approach that had defined US-Israel relations since the 1960s.

The cracks became visible during the Obama years with public feuding over the Iran nuclear deal, widened under Trump with controversial moves like relocating the US embassy to Jerusalem, and exploded during the recent Gaza war under Biden. What was once fringe opposition to Israeli arms sales among Democrats has become mainstream party position.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which spent decades cultivating bipartisan support, now finds itself increasingly toxic among Democratic lawmakers. The organization that once prided itself on being "bipartisan" has become a Republican-aligned lobbying force.

The Republican Dilemma

Ironically, Netanyahu's bet on the Republican Party may be backfiring. The "America First" wing of the MAGA movement, led by figures like Tucker Carlson and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, is becoming increasingly vocal in opposing US support for Israel.

This internal GOP tension exploded in a recent contentious interview between Carlson and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. When Huckabee suggested Israel would be biblically entitled to control much of the region, the comments reverberated throughout the Middle East and exposed the fault lines within Trump's coalition.

More troubling is how some anti-Israel sentiment is mixing with antisemitism. Carlson's platforming of white nationalist Nick Fuentes and Florida gubernatorial candidate James Fishback's use of antisemitic talking points in his anti-Israel campaign represent a dangerous evolution.

Trump himself seems aware of the shifting ground. He reportedly warned a Jewish campaign donor last year that "my people are starting to hate Israel"—a remarkable admission from a president who moved the US embassy to Jerusalem.

Policy vs. Public Opinion

Despite the polling shift, Trump's administration continues backing Israel's most controversial policies. Just weeks after Israel's security cabinet announced new West Bank land ownership policies—which Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described as part of efforts to "kill the idea of a Palestinian state"—the US announced it would provide embassy services to Americans living in West Bank settlements for the first time.

This move, seen by critics as indirect endorsement of settlements considered illegal by most of the world, highlights the growing gap between American public opinion and government policy.

As tensions with Iran escalate, Politico reported that White House officials prefer a scenario where "Israel goes first" because "the politics are a lot better." But the latest polling suggests those political calculations may be outdated.

The Generational Divide

Perhaps most significantly for the future, the shift is most pronounced among younger Americans. This suggests the change isn't temporary—it's generational. Young Americans who came of age during the Gaza war, social media age, and "America First" politics view the Middle East conflict through entirely different lenses than their parents.

This generational gap extends across party lines. Even young Republicans are far less supportive of Israel than older GOP voters, suggesting that future Republican politicians may find less electoral benefit in strong pro-Israel positions.