Americans as a whole are starting to feel less sympathetic towards Israel, showing a shift in how people view the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. A recent national survey by Geo News found that public opinion toward Israel has become more negative compared to just a few years ago.
GeoNews noted that “according to the survey conducted between February 27 and March 2, only 32% of Americans currently hold a positive view of Israel, while 39% express a negative opinion. The results mark a notable shift compared with three years ago, when public sentiment was more positive, with 47% viewing Israel favourably and 34% negatively. Much of the decline in positive sentiment appears to stem from changes in opinion among Democrats and independent voters.”
Politics appears to have played a large role in the change of opinions towards Israel. According to Gallup News, in 2023, sentiment toward Israel among Democrats was evenly split. Today, only 13% of Democrats report a positive view of Israel. Republicans, however, continue to support Israel by a large amount, with about 70% sympathizing more with Israelis compared to only 13% who sympathize with Palestinians.
How the Relationship Began
The relationship between the United States and Israel began in May 1948 when President Harry S. Truman officially recognized Israel just minutes after Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, declared its independence. Thousands of Jews, who had been displaced from Europe due to the Holocaust, were looking for a new place to settle, and according to the Helmsley Trust, the land of Israel had long been considered the birthplace of the Jewish people. The Helmsley Trust also notes that “on the 29th November, 1947, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling for the establishment of a Jewish State in Eretz-Israel,” and the following year, the Jewish state of Israel was born. It was not without controversy, particularly among Palestinian Arabs who already lived in the area.
At first, the U.S. tried to stay balanced in its support of Israel. While it supported Israel, it also maintained ties with Arab countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar. This was because these countries were very important oil suppliers to the U.S., and overt support of Israel could have adversely affected the American economy.
During the early years of the Cold War, the U.S. slowly started to see Israel as an important ally, partly because the Soviet Union was building influence in the Middle East by supporting certain Arab countries. Over time, the U.S. increased its military and economic aid to Israel and became more involved in the region.
After the Six-Day War in 1967, when the Arab countries attacked Israel, Israel showed its military strength by defeating nearby countries and gaining control of territories like the West Bank and Gaza. The West Bank is a larger area located between Israel and Jordan. Gaza is a small, densely populated strip of land along the Mediterranean Sea where many Palestinians live. After this, the U.S. increased its support for Israel even more. However, this also made the tensions worsen in the region. Many Palestinians came under Israeli control, which led to long-term disputes over land and rights.
The alliance between the U.S. and Israel grew even stronger during the Yom Kippur War in 1973. This war lasted from Oct. 6 to Oct. 26 of 1973, and involved Israel and a coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria. It began as a surprise attack on Israel during the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. The Arab states hoped to regain territories that had been lost during the Six-Day War. The Israeli forces were caught off guard despite prior warnings. According to History.com, by the end of the war, about 2,500 Israeli soldiers were killed, and 7,250-8,800 were wounded.
In response, the U.S. launched what was called Operation Nickel Grass. This operation was an emergency effort to send weapons and supplies to Israel. This support helped Israel recover as a nation and eventually push back against opposing forces. But because of U.S. support for Israel, several Arab oil-producing companies placed an embargo on the U.S. and its allies. This led to the 1973 Oil Crisis. Oil exports were restricted, and energy prices rose very sharply.
Effects on the U.S.
Higher oil prices quickly increased the cost of transportation and goods, which led to inflation across the U.S. economy. At the same time, economic growth slowed, and unemployment increased because businesses struggled with higher costs and reduced consumer spending. At one point, Americans could only fill up their gas tanks every other day and faced long lines at the pump when they did so. The economic pain had a negative effect on the presidency of Jimmy Carter, and contributed to his defeat at the polls to Ronald Reagan in 1976.
Modern Shifts in Opinion
Public opinion in the U.S. has been shaped not only by this historical alliance with Israel, as the only democracy in the Middle East, but also by recent events. According to French Diplomacy, “On October 7, 2023, Israel was struck by terrorist attacks of an unprecedented scale and brutality in the worst anti-Semitic massacre since the Holocaust. These barbaric attacks, which were carried out by Hamas and other affiliated terrorist groups, took the lives of at least 1,219 people and led to the taking of 251 hostages, most of them Israeli civilians.”
In response, Israel launched a large-scale military campaign in Gaza. The conflict drew global attention and led many Americans to reconsider their support for Israel, even though Israel’s actions were in response to an unprovoked attack by Hamas. Reports of high civilian casualties in Gaza, including many women and children, have increased concern and debate.
According to Middle East Eye, a growing number of Americans, especially younger people, are expressing more sympathy for Palestinians. Some believe that this is due to the prevalence of pro-Palestinian posts on social media, especially TikTok, and the general rise of anti-Semitism, meaning hostility, prejudice, or discrimination directed at Jews as individuals or as a group. In contrast, older generations tend to maintain more favorable views of Israel, possibly due to an appreciation for or greater understanding of America’s historical relationship with Israel.
