59% of Americans Want To Recognize Palestine, Say Israel's War "Excessive"
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll shows an increasing number of Americans believing that Israel's response has gone too far, and a decreasing number disagreeing.
A new Reuters/Ipsos poll published today (Wednesday) shows 59% of Americans believe that Israel's response to October 7 has been "excessive," as opposed to just 33% who disagree, compared to 53-42 at the beginning of the war.
In terms of partisan breakdown: Republicans disagree that Israel's response has been excessive by 57-38, Democrats believe it has been excessive 82-14, and "Others" agree it has been excessive by 59-28.
A majority of Americans now believe all countries in the United Nations, including presumably the United States, should recognize a state of Palestine, primarily driven by Democrats who support it 78-16 and Others who support it 58-28, while Republicans oppose the idea 53-41.
The poll was conducted among over 4,000 adults, an important gauge of general public opinion, though not of the mood of voters who actually determine elections and thus the policy of the two parties.
Public sympathy with and support for Israel has been declining in the United States ever since the beginning of the war.
A Pew poll published in April showed a majority of Democrats expressing feelings of dislike for the Jewish State, with younger Democrats expressing these views in a supermajority. Even half of Republicans under the age of 50 admitted to expressing feelings of dislike of Israel, up from 35% in 2022, before the October 7 attack.
However, according to consistent Harvard-Harris polls, Israel is still by far the preferred choice in a matchup between Israel and Hamas, and Israel's goals of defeating Hamas and returning the hostages, as well as preventing Hamas from having any continued power in the Gaza Strip, continue to enjoy broad public support.