American Public Opinion Polls:
Sympathy Toward Israel & the Arabs/Palestinians

(Updated January 2017)

American Polls: Table of Contents | Anti-Semitic Propensities | On Palestinian Statehood

“In the Middle East situation, are your sympathies more with Israel or with the Arabs?”

Month
Year
Pollster
Israel
Arabs
Contextual Timeline
January 2017
Pew
51
19
May 2016
Pew
54
19
 U.S. Election Campaign
Feb. 2016
Gallup
62
15
March
2015
Pew
65
11
Feb.
2015
Gallup
62
16
Feb.
2015
Israel Project+
53
11
October
2014
Gallup
64
12
August
2014
Pew^
51
14
August
2014
NBC/WSJ
46
14
 Operation Protective Edge
July
2014
Pew^
51
14
April
2013
Pew^
53
14
Feb.
2014
Gallup
62
18
October
2013
ADL
48
16
March
2013
Washington Post/ABC
55
9
March
2013
Pew^
49
12*
Feb.
2013
Gallup
64
12*
Israeli Elections
Dec.
2012
Pew^
50
10*
U.S. Presidential Elections
Nov. 16-18
2012
CNN
59
13*
Operation Pillar of Defense
July
2012
Israel Project+
61
7*
Feb.
2012
Gallup
61
19*
Feb.
2012
Israel Project+
57
6*
Nov.
2011
Israel Project+
60
8*
Oct.
2011
ADL
49
18*
Oct.
2011
Quinnipiac
51
15*
June
2011
Israel Project+
56
10*

May
2011
Pew^
48
11*
May
2011
CNN
67
16*
April
2011
Israel Project+
51
10*
Feb.
2011
Israel Project+
50
5*
Feb.
2011
Gallup
63
17*
Jan.
2011
Israel Project+
45
6*
Dec.
2010
Israel Project+
44
8*
Nov.
2010
Israel Project+
54
6*
Sept.
2010
Israel Project+
55
9*
June
2010
Israel Project+
56
8*
May
2010
Israel Project+
53
6*
April
2010
Pew^
49
16*

April
2010
Quinnipiac
57
13*
Feb
2010
Israel Project+
57
7*
Feb
2010
Gallup
63
15*
Oct.-Nov.
2009
Pew^
51
12*
Oct.
2009
ADL
45
15*
Oct.
2009
Israel Project+
58
6*
August
2009
Israel Project+
59
8*
June
2009
Israel Project+
49
7*
Feb.
2009
Gallup
59
18*
Jan.
2009
Pew^
49
11*
Jan.
2009
Israel Project+
57
8*
Jan.
2009
CNN
60
17*
Nov.
2008
Israel Project+
57
6*
Sept.
2008
Israel Project+
51
7*
July
2008
Israel Project+
69
6*
March
2008
Israel Project+
60
8*
Feb.
2008
Gallup
59
17*
Jan.
2008
Israel Project+
62
9*
Dec.
2007
Israel Project+
61
10*
Oct.
2007
ADL
45
16*
Oct.
2007
Israel Project+
48
7*
July
2007
Israel Project+
49
5*
May
2007
Pew^
49
11*
April
2007
Israel Project+
65
10*
Feb.
2007
Gallup
58
20*

Jan.
2007
Israel Project+
50
7*
Nov.
2006
Israel Project+
54
6*
Sept.
2006
Israel Project+
53
5*
Aug.
2006
Pew^
52
11*
Aug.
2006
Israel Project+
56
7*
July 27
2006
Israel Project+
58
6*
July 20
2006
Israel Project+
57
8*
July 16-18
2006
Israel Project+
60
7*
July 2
2006
Israel Project+
45
6*
July
2006
Pew^
44
9*
May
2006
Israel Project+
48
7*

Mar-May
2006
Pew^
48
13*
Feb.
2006
Gallup
59
15*
Jan.
2006
Israel Project+
45
7*
Oct.
2005
Pew^
43
17*
Oct.
2005
Israel Project+
46
10*
Aug.
2005
Israel Project+
38
8*
July
2005
Pew^
37
12*

May
2005
Israel Project+
38
11*
March 18-25
2005
ADL
42
13*
Feb.
2005
Israel Project+
40
10*
Feb.
2005
Gallup
52
18*
Jan.
2005
Israel Project+
39
6*
Nov.
2004
Israel Project+
49
10*
Sept.
2004
Israel Project+
48
6*
July
2004
Pew^
40
13*
July
2004
Israel Project+
47
9*
May
2004
Pew
46
12*

Assassinations of Hamas Leaders
March 23
2004
Israel Project+
48
8*
March 17
2004
Israel Project+
52
8*
Feb.
2004
Pew^
46
12*

Feb.
2004
Gallup
55
18*
Jan.
2004
Israel Project+
52
10*
Dec
2003
ADL
40
15*
Nov
2003
Israel Project+
47
11*
Aug
2003
Israel Project+
42
6*
July
2003
Israel Project+
48
10*
May 29
2003
Israel Project+
42
8*
May 8
2003
Israel Project+
46
7*
May
2003
Gallup
46
16*
April
2003
Israel Project+
23
3*
Feb.
2003
Gallup
58
13*
Sept.
2002
Gallup
47
14*
June
2002
Gallup
49
14*
May
2002
Gallup
49
15*
Operation Defensive Shield
April 22-24
2002
Gallup
47
13*
April 21
2002
ABC/Washington Post
49
14*
April 7
2002
ABC/Washington Post
41
9*
April
2002
Pew^
41
13*
April
2002
Gallup
50
15*
March
2002
Gallup
43
14*
Feb.
2002
Gallup
55
14*

Dec.
2001
Gallup
51
14*
Dec.
2001
Quinnipiac
51
13*
Sept.
2001
Gallup
55
7*
Aug
2001
Gallup
41
13*
Feb.
2001
Gallup
50
13*
Oct.
2001
ABC/Washington Post
52
14*
Oct.
2001
Pew^
47
10*
Sept.
2001
Pew^
40
17*
Oct.
2000
Gallup
41
11*
July
2000
Gallup
41
12*
Jan.
2000
Gallup
43
13*

July
1999
Gallup
43
14*
Dec.
1998
Gallup
46
13*
April
1998
New York Times/CBS
58
13*
Sept.
1997
Pew^
48
13*
April
1997
New York Times/CBS
48
13*
Aug.
1997
Gallup
38
8*
Nov.
1996
Gallup
38
15*
Signing of Oslo Accords
Sept.
1993
Pew^
45
21*
Sept.
1993
Gallup
42
15*
March
1991
New York Times/CBS
49
20

Sept.
1991
ABC/Washington Post
57
20
March
1991
Gallup
60
17*
Jan.
1991
Gallup
64
7
--
1990
Chicago CFR
34
14
Dec.
1990
Marttila & Kiley
48
20
Oct.
1990
Gallup
48
23*
June
1990
New York Times/CBS
40
19
May
1990
AJC (Roper)
39
9
May
1990
Roper
34
15*
Mar.
1990
Harris
52
18
Sept.
1989
Marttila & Kiley
53
14
Sept.
1989
Marttila & Kiley
42
30*
Aug.
1989
Gallup
50
14*
June
1989
Roper
36
13
Apr.
1989
Washington Post/ABC
69
16
Apr.
1989
Roper
34
14*
Dec.
1988
Gallup
46
24*
May
1988
ADL
44
13
May
1988
Gallup
37
15*
Apr.
1988
AJC
61
13

Apr.
1988
AJC
55
23*
Apr.
1988
Los Angeles Times
51
12
Apr.
1988
Los Angeles Times
37
25*
Apr.
1988
Chicago Tribune
42
27*
Apr.
1988
Roper
37
11
Jan.
1988
Penn & Schoen
47
14
Apr.
1987
AJC
50
14*
March
1987
Roper
48
8
Feb.
1987
Harris
58
8
June 23
1986
Washington Post/ABC
62
13
June
1986
Roper
53
8
May
1986
Gallup
43
20*
Oct.
1985
Harris
64
14
Apr.
1985
Roper
42
10
July
1985
Washington Post/ABC
49
11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Mar.
1984
Roper
39
8
Jan.
1984
Roper
44
8
Sept.
1983
Washington Post/ABC
49
13
July
1983
Roper
37
9
Mar.
1983
Gallup
49
12
Feb.-Mar.
1983
Washington Post/ABC
52
16
Jan.
1983
Gallup
49
12
Jan.
1983
Gallup
49
12
Jan.
1983
Washington Post/ABC
47
17
--
1982
Chicago CFR
40
17
Oct.
1982
Roper
38
14
Oct.
1982
Gallup
40
17*
Sep. 26
1982
Washington Post/ABC
48
27
Sep.
1982
Roper
40
12
Sep.
1982
Gallup
32
28
Aug.
1982
Gallup
41
12
Aug.
1982
Washington Post/ABC
52
18
Jul.
1982
Los Angeles Times
48
17
Jul.
1982
Gallup
52
10
June 11-14
1982
Gallup
52
10
June
1982
Roper
39
9
May
1982
Gallup
51
12
Mar.
1982
Washington Post/ABC
55
18
Jan.
1982
Gallup
49
14
Nov.
1981
Gallup
49
12
Aug.
1981
Harris
47
15*
July-Aug.
1981
Gallup
44
11
July
1981
Roper
35
10
Raid on Iraqi Nuclear Reactor
Oct.
1980
Gallup
45
13

July
1980
Harris
52
12
July
1980
Harris
47
14*
Mar.
1980
Roper
37
10
Nov.
1979
Gallup
40
14
Mar.
1979
Gallup
34
11
Jan. 5-8
1979
Gallup
40
14
Dec.
1979
Yankelovich
49
6
Dec.
1979
Yankelovich
49
15*
Oct.
1979
Los Angeles Times
49
11
Apr.
1979
Yankelovich
47
11
Mar.
1979
Roper
36
9
--
1978
Chicago CFR
45
14
Nov.
1978
Gallup
41
13*
Aug. 4-7
1978
Gallup
42
11
May
1978
Roper
35
9
Apr.
1978
Gallup
38
11
Mar.
1978
Gallup
44
11
Jan.
1978
Roper
37
10
Jan.
1977
Roper
47
6
Dec.
1977
Gallup
37
8
Oct. 14-17
1977
Gallup
46
11
June 3-6
1977
Gallup
44
8
Mar.
1977
Roper
43
5
Jan.
1976
Harris
52
6
Jan.
1976
Harris
40
10*
Jan.
1976
Yankelovich
56
9
Apr. 4-7
1975
Gallup
37
8
Apr.
1975
Roper
43
7
Jan.
1975
Gallup
44
8
Jan.
1975
Harris
33
14*
Oct.
1974
Yankelovich
55
9
Jan.
1974
Gallup
38
6
Dec.
1973
Gallup
50
7
Dec.7-10
1973
Gallup
54
8
Dec. 4
1973
Gallup
48
7
Nov.
1973
Roper
48
7
Oct.
1973
Harris
39
4
Yom Kippur War
Oct. 19-22
1973
Gallup
48
6
Oct. 16
1973
Gallup
44
5
Oct. 5-8
1973
Gallup
47
6
Oct. 2-7
1973
Gallup
38
3
July
1971
Harris
44
7
June
1971
Harris
46
7
Oct.
1970
Harris
47
6
War of Attrition
Aug.
1970
Harris
47
6
March
1970
Gallup
38
3
Feb.
1970
Gallup
44
3
Feb.
1969
Gallup
41
4
Jan. 23-28
1969
Gallup
44
5
Jan.
1969
Gallup
50
5
June
1967
Gallup
56
4
Six Day War
June
1967
Harris
41
1
June 2-7
1967
Gallup
38
3
Average (1967-2016) - 251 polls
48.00
11.58
 Ratio 4:15

*Palestinian Arabs

+Slight wording difference: “Thinking about the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians in the Middle East, pleae tell me wether, in general, you consider yourself: A strong supporter of Israel; A supporter of Israel; A supporter of the Palestinians; A strong supporter of the Palestinians.”

^Slight wording difference: "In the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians, which side do you sympathize with more, Israel or the Palestinians?"

By Decade
Number of Polls
Israel
Arabs/Palestinians
 Ratio
1960s
6
45.00
3.67
 12.27
1970s
45
43.58
8.29
 5.26
1980s
57
46.63
14.09
 3.23
1990s
20
46.60
15.30
 3.05
2000s
83
49.43
10.98
 4.50
2010s
37
54.70
11.80
 4.66

By Administration
Number of Polls
Israel
Arabs/Palestinians
 Ratio
Johnson
4
46.25
2.67
 17.34
Nixon/Ford
28
44.75
6.39
 7.00
Carter
24
42.67
10.71
 3.98
Reagan
47
46.66
13.89
 3.26
Bush
16
47.06
16.50
 2.85
Clinton
12
44.25
13.42
 3.30
George W. Bush
71
49.42
10.91
 4.53
Barack Obama
43
54.23
11.48
 4.68

 

Average for 148 polls vs. Palestinians
49.44
12.19
 4.06
 
Pre-Disengagement
45.44
11.90
 3.82
Post-Disengagement (9/2005)
54.14
10.80
 5.01
Post-Oslo (9/93)
50.56
11.220
 4.5
       
Record High Support for Israel: 69% (Israel Project, July 2008; ABC/WP, April 3, 1989)
Record High Support for Palestinians: 30% (Marttila & Kiley, Sept. 1989
 
Record Low Support for Israel: 32% (Gallup, Sept. 1982)
Record Low Support for Palestinians: 5% (Israel Project, Sept. 2006, June 2007, Feb. 2011)

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