A new Gallup poll released on Wednesday revealed a significant shift in American attitudes towards Israel’s military actions in Gaza. According to the survey conducted from March 1-20, a majority of U.S. adults, 55 percent, now disapprove of Israel’s military actions, marking a 10 percentage point increase from just four months ago.
The poll also showed a steep decline in approval of Israel’s conduct in the war, dropping from 50 percent in November to 36 percent in March. The number of Americans with no opinion on the subject also rose slightly to 9 percent from 4 percent.
These findings come amidst a five-month period in which Israel has been involved in a conflict that has resulted in the deaths of over 32,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including nearly 14,000 children, according to local health officials and the United Nations. Israeli officials report roughly 1,200 deaths in Israel during the Hamas-led attack on Oct. 7.
Approval of Israel’s military actions decreased across the political spectrum, with Republicans, Independents, and Democrats all showing declines in approval. The AP-NORC poll conducted in late January also found a similar trend, with half of U.S. adults believing that Israel’s military response in Gaza had “gone too far.”
The Pew Research Center’s recent survey further highlighted divides in public opinion along generational and religious lines, with younger adults and Muslim Americans more likely to view Israel’s response as unacceptable compared to older adults and Jewish Americans.
Overall, these polls indicate a growing discontent among Americans towards Israel’s actions in Gaza, reflecting a shift in public opinion on the issue.
