First time in 25 years: More Americans sympathize with Palestinians than with Israelis

(Patria) - For the first time in 25 years, since Gallup has been conducting public opinion polls on the Middle East, more Americans said they sympathize with Palestinians than with Israelis.

This marks a significant shift in the perception of one of America's key allies, writes Axios, as reported by Index.hr.

According to the latest data, 41 percent of respondents said they sympathize more with Palestinians, while 36 percent favor Israelis.

Although the difference is not statistically significant, analysts point out that the trend clearly shows a sharp decline in support for Israel among the American public.

In just one year, sympathy for Israel dropped by ten percentage points. At the same time, the overall favorable rating of Israel fell close to its lowest level since Gallup began conducting these measurements.

The change comes after the war between Israel and Hamas, which caused a severe humanitarian crisis and further destabilized the region.

The conflict displaced nearly the entire population of Gaza, leaving hundreds of thousands of people without adequate shelter and basic living conditions, according to United Nations data.

The shift in sympathy primarily comes from politically independent voters. In earlier Gallup polls, they were more likely to express pro-Israel views.

Today, 41 percent of independent respondents say they sympathize more with Palestinians, while 30 percent favor Israelis.

On the other hand, seven out of ten Republicans still express greater support for Israel.

Despite the change in sympathy, the overall picture shows that Americans still have a somewhat more favorable opinion of Israel: 46 percent of respondents view Israel positively, while 37 percent have a positive opinion of the Palestinian territories.

Since last year's survey, a fragile ceasefire was achieved with the mediation of the United States, which is now in its second phase. However, deadly Israeli attacks have not completely stopped.

Analysts point out that any long-term prospect for peace would depend on Hamas renouncing arms and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, rather than attempts to disarm Hamas by force.

The latest data suggest that the war and the humanitarian consequences of the conflict have not only changed the dynamics on the ground but have also deeply influenced the attitudes of the American public - which could have long-term implications for U.S. foreign policy toward the Middle East.