A poll conducted by Chicago Council shows a split on the Israeli-Palestinian issue in the United States.
In recent years, the US-Israeli relationship was stewarded by “Israel’s” longest-serving leader, former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and former US President Donald Trump.
This week, the first meeting between the two newly elected leaders, President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Naftali Bennett will set the tone for a new era of US-Israeli relations.
The conducted survey showed differences in ideas and divisions among the American public concerning the US policy toward “Israel”, heightened by the 11-day Israeli aggression on Palestine last May. It also revealed that the US public is sharply divided on key issues, such as the Israeli-Palestinian issue, support for a Palestinian state, and restrictions on the uses of military aid to “Israel”.
Key findings
– Americans prefer to be neutral on the Israeli-Palestinian issue (58% no side, 32% choose to side with the Israelis, 8% with the Palestinians).
– Americans think either an independent Palestinian state on the West Bank and Gaza (56%) or a one-state solution in which Israelis and Palestinians are treated as equal citizens (60%) is acceptable. Relatively few say the status quo is acceptable (26%).
– Israeli Arabs also find a two-state (69%) or one-state (56%) resolution acceptable, but not the status quo. Israeli Jews tend to find all options unacceptable, though the status quo is the most acceptable (42%).
– On the issue of restricting US military aid to “Israel” to prohibit its use in military operations against Palestinians, 50% were in favor, while 45% were against. Democrats favor these restrictions (62%, 32% oppose), while Republicans are nearly the mirror opposite, with six in 10 opposing them (61%, 32% favor).
50% of the American people are in favor of restricting US military aid to “Israel” to prohibit its use in military operations against Palestinians, a Chicago Council survey revealed.
