U.S. Support for Israel’s War in Gaza Craters, New Poll Finds

Gallup survey reveals steep drop in approval as partisan divide widens and Gaza civilian toll weighs on American public opinion

Public backing in the United States for Israel’s war in Gaza has taken a serious hit — and there’s no sugarcoating it.

Just 32% of Americans now say they support how Israel is conducting its military campaign in Gaza, according to a new Gallup poll released Tuesday. That’s a sharp drop — 10 percentage points — from the 42% recorded in September 2024. The numbers are more than just a shift; they’re a loud signal that many Americans are growing weary, if not outright disgusted, with what they’re seeing unfold in the Palestinian enclave.

The Gaza war is testing the patience of the U.S. public

This isn’t just another blip in polling trends. The war in Gaza — already one of the deadliest in decades — has led to rising civilian casualties, relentless airstrikes, and deepening humanitarian crises. News outlets and social media are flooded with images of flattened buildings, bloodied children, and desperate families trying to survive under siege.

Americans are watching. And they’re reacting.

Support among Democrats? Just 8%. That’s not a typo.

Support among Republicans? A commanding 71%.

Those numbers, taken together, show not just discontent — but polarization.

A massive partisan chasm that’s only getting worse

It’s not new for Democrats and Republicans to view foreign policy through very different lenses. But the size of this gap? It’s jarring.

In fact, Gallup’s latest numbers reflect one of the widest partisan divides on Israel seen in years. While Republican support has stayed relatively strong — even increasing slightly — Democratic support has utterly collapsed. Among independents, approval stands at just 26%.

And the split isn’t just about the war. It’s about how Americans see the Israeli government overall.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

• 71% of Republicans approve of Israel’s Gaza campaign

• 8% of Democrats approve

• 26% of Independents approve

That’s not a disagreement — that’s a canyon.

Gaza images and rising death toll are shaping opinion

If you ask most pollsters why approval has tanked, they’ll point you to one thing: the optics.

Every week, major international outlets report mass casualties in Gaza. Just this past weekend, more than 50 people were killed in an airstrike near Khan Younis. That story, like so many others, came with photos: dust-covered toddlers being pulled from rubble, sobbing mothers holding limp children.

Those images don’t just stay on the screen. They stick.

And they’re reshaping how Americans perceive Israel’s actions — not necessarily Israel itself, but the current conduct of the war.

A pollster familiar with the data put it this way: “You can support Israel’s right to exist and still be horrified by what’s happening in Gaza. Increasingly, Americans are feeling both.”

Young voters and Arab Americans shifting the narrative

The drop in support isn’t uniform across age groups. Younger Americans — especially under 35 — are the least likely to support the war effort. That trend mirrors what we’ve seen in campus protests, social media activism, and even political debates in Congress.

At the same time, Arab American communities, along with progressive Jewish voices, have grown more vocal. Groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and Students for Justice in Palestine are organizing rallies, pushing campaigns, and calling out what they describe as ethnic cleansing in Gaza.

And it’s not just fringe noise anymore.

These voices are starting to resonate beyond activist circles — into living rooms, newsrooms, and, increasingly, into ballot boxes.

One sentence sums it up: Americans are watching a war they no longer feel good about.

Pressure on Biden as election season heats up

The poll’s results aren’t just a media story — they’re a political headache for President Joe Biden.

With the 2026 midterms on the horizon and Biden’s approval already sagging among young and minority voters, the White House now faces the tricky task of balancing foreign policy with domestic opinion.

So far, Biden has backed Israel’s “right to defend itself” while occasionally calling for restraint. But that middle path is getting harder to walk.

Activists want more. A lot more.

Several House Democrats have called for a halt to weapons transfers. Protests have erupted outside Biden campaign events. And the phrase “genocide in Gaza” is appearing more often — not just on posters, but in mainstream op-eds and even within the United Nations.

Could this change U.S. foreign policy? Maybe — but not overnight

Despite growing public criticism, U.S. military aid to Israel remains untouched. Congress continues to pass funding packages, and bipartisan support in the Senate has held firm.

But the political winds are shifting.

For now, here’s where things stand:

Polls don’t dictate foreign policy directly. But they do shape the political temperature — and that affects how elected officials talk, vote, and fund.

If the trend continues, it could force both Democratic and Republican candidates to rethink how they talk about Israel.

And in a closely divided Congress? Every vote — and every voice — matters.

No signs of slowing in Gaza, no signs of softening in opinion

The war in Gaza shows little sign of ending soon. Despite international calls for a ceasefire, Israeli military operations are ongoing. Hamas remains embedded in the densely populated Strip, and peace talks have stalled.

Meanwhile, American public opinion continues to harden. With every bomb, every viral video, and every funeral, more Americans seem to be turning away.

The big question is whether Washington will follow.