US sympathies shift to Palestinians from Israelis for first time: Gallup poll
The Straits Times
This is the first time in more than two decades that Israel was not on top in the poll. Read more at straitstimes.com.
WASHINGTON – Americans for the first time sympathise more with the Palestinians than the Israelis in their conflict, according to a Gallup poll released on Feb 27, after the devastating Gaza war.
Views on the Middle East divide sharply along partisan lines, with the shift over the past year the result of more independents souring on Israel.
Overall, 41 per cent of Americans sympathise more with the Palestinians and 36 per cent sided with Israel, the poll said, with the rest undecided or saying they favoured both or neither.
The gap is not statistically significant, but it marks the first time since Gallup asked the question more than two decades ago that Israel was not on top.
It also marks a sharp difference from just a year ago, when Israel led in sympathies 46 per cent to 33 per cent.
When asked about their sympathies, independents sided with the Palestinian people by 11 percentage points.
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