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

(Updated May 2013)

American Public Opinion: Table of Contents | On Operations in Gaza | Index of Polls

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

Month	Year	Pollster	Israel	Arabs	Contextual Timeline
April	2013	Pew^	53	14
March	2013	Washington Post/ABC	55	9	Obama Trip to Israel
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*	Shalit Exchange Deal
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*	Egyptian Revolution - "Arab Spring"
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*	Gaza Flotilla Incident
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*	Netanyahu Assumes Office
Feb.	2009	Gallup	59	18*	Operation Cast Lead
Jan.	2009	Pew^	49	11*
Jan.	2009	Israel Project+	57	8*
Jan.	2009	CNN	60	17*
Nov.	2008	Israel Project+	57	6*	2008 US Presidential Election
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*	Hamas Takeover of Gaza
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*	Second Lebanon War
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*	Disengagement from Gaza
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*	Start of Palestinian War
Oct.	2001	Pew^	47	10*
Sept.	2001	Pew^	40	17*
Oct.	2000	Gallup	41	11*
July	2000	Gallup	41	12*	Withdrawal from Lebanon
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*	Start of First Intifada
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	First Lebanon War             Sabra & Shatila Massacres
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
Polling Average (1967-2013 - 242 polls)			47.77	11.48

*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

By Administration

See also

• American Public Opinion Toward Israel
• American Attitudes Toward the Middle East
• Public Opinion Toward Terrorism
• Public Attitudes Toward the Peace Process

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