More than half of Democrats are anti-Israel, according to a shocking new poll.
Only 33% of Dems surveyed by Gallup said they had a favorable view of Israel, while a whopping 60% said they viewed the Jewish State unfavorably and 4% had no opinion.
It’s the first time ever that a Gallup survey showed a majority of members of a main US political party had a negative opinion of the Jewish state, with the question being asked since 1989.
By comparison, 83% of Republicans said they had a favorable view of Israel, and just 13% unfavorable, with 4% not offering an opinion, the poll found.
“This year marks the first time any party group has had majority-level unfavorable ratings of Israel, with 60% of Democrats expressing that view,” Gallup said.
Overall, 54% of Americans surveyed had a favorable view of Israel and 41% unfavorable, the lowest rating since 2000.
The youngest voters between the ages of 18 and 34 were most critical of the Jewish state — with 56% having an unfavorable view, and just 38% favorable.
The anti-Israel sentiment comes amid the country’s war with Hamas in Gaza, sparked by the terrorist group Oct. 7, 2023 attack.
Tensions over the Israel-Hamas war have triggered a spike in reports of antisemitism and anti-Israel protests on college campuses, which have included vandalism and takeover of buildings — including a masked mob that stormed a building at Barnard College on Wednesday.
Among respondents not affiliated with a party — independents — just 48% had a favorable view of Israel and 44% unfavorable, the poll found.
“The 50 points separating Republican and Democratic positivity toward Israel shatters the prior record of 30 points measured last year, primarily because of a 14-point drop in Democrats’ rating,” Gallup said in an analysis of its finding.
The gap is also nearly three times larger than the average 18-point difference that existed between Democrats and Republicans between 2001 and 2023.
Over that time, Republicans consistently viewed Israel more favorably than Democrats have.
“The widening partisan gap likely reflects Democrats’ opposition to Israel’s actions in the Israel-Hamas war,” Gallup said.
The pollster also said it could also be a reaction to President Trump’s strong backing of Israel, highlighted in his meeting with Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House earlier this month.
The survey also found other stark gaps between Democrats and Republicans when it comes to their views of other countries.
For example, 83% of Democrats have a favorable view of Mexico, while only 47% of Republicans do.
Meanwhile 84% of Democrats have a positive view of Ukraine, while 54% of Republicans do.
Gallup interviewed 775 Americans from Feb. 3 to 16. the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
