ANKARA / ISTANBUL

A majority of Americans, 57%, support the creation of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel, according to a Gallup poll released Friday.

The survey by the US-based research firm shows notable shifts in attitudes toward Israel and the Palestinians compared with last year.

Overall, 41% of respondents said they sympathize more with Palestinians, while 36% said they sympathize more with Israelis. In 2025, 46% said they sympathized more with Israelis and 33% with Palestinians.

Partisan divide

Among Democrats, 65% said they sympathize more with Palestinians and 17% with Israelis, with little change over the past year.

Seventy percent of Republicans said they sympathize more with Israel and 13% with Palestinians. Republican support for Israel fell by 10 percentage points from 2024, the lowest level since 2004.

Among independents, 41% said they sympathize more with Palestinians and 30% with Israelis. This represented a major flip from previous years, when 42% of independents leaned toward Israel and 34% toward Palestinians.

Age trends

Support for Palestinians was strongest among younger Americans. Among those aged 18-34, 53% said they sympathize more with Palestinians, while 23% favored Israel — the lowest level recorded for that age group.

Among respondents aged 35-54, 46% sympathized more with Palestinians and 28% with Israelis, nearly reversing their 2025 positions.

Among those 55 and older, 49% said they sympathize more with Israel and 31% with Palestinians, the first time since 2005 that fewer than half in this group favored Israel.

Favorability ratings

Israel remains viewed more favorably overall, with 46% expressing a positive view, compared with 37% for the Palestinian territories.

Among independents, 41% expressed favorable views of both Israel and the Palestinian territories. Over the past year, favorable views of Israel fell by six points, while views of the Palestinian territories rose by 10 points.

Among Democrats, favorable views of the Palestinian territories have been above those of Israel since 2025, with 48% viewing Palestine positively and 34% expressing favorable views of Israel.

Among Republicans, 69% expressed favorable views of Israel, a 15-point plunge from 2025.

Support for statehood

By party, support for an independent Palestinian state stands at 77% among Democrats, 57% among independents and 33% among Republicans.

Overall, 28% opposed the idea and 15% expressed no opinion, while a majority of 57% expressed support.