Current:Home > NewsMost Americans view Israel as a partner, but fewer see it as sharing US values, AP-NORC poll shows-InfoLens
Most Americans view Israel as a partner, but fewer see it as sharing US values, AP-NORC poll shows
View Date:2024-12-23 15:00:46
NEW YORK (AP) — As President Joe Biden prepares to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week in New York, a new poll finds that while Americans generally view Israel as a partner or ally, many question whether his far-right government shares American values.
The poll results from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the meeting come during a new period of tension between the Biden administration and Israel. Those tensions are caused by Netanyahu’s proposed judicial overhaul that has sparked mass protests in major Israeli cities, ongoing disagreements over how to deal with Iran and how to approach the Palestinians, and comments from Netanyahu political allies that have irked U.S. officials.
Despite the friction, Biden, who spoke out in barely disguised opposition to the judicial plan, and Netanyahu are expected to project a solid partnership in which the U.S. continues to support Israel’s security.
Biden will also emphasize that the U.S. is continuing to work on expanding the Trump-era Abraham Accords, which normalized Israeli relations with several Arab countries, to include Saudi Arabia. However, there is little sign of an imminent breakthrough on that front.
Although the poll showed that Americans overwhelmingly view Israel as more of a friend than a foe, it also found that they are divided on whether Israel is a country with which the U.S. shares common interests and values.
About 4 in 10 Americans described Israel as a partner with which the U.S. should cooperate, but they also said the country does not share U.S. interests and values, the poll found. Only about 3 in 10 said Israel is an ally that shares U.S. interests. Republicans (44%) are more likely than Democrats (25%) to call Israel an ally with shared values. About 2 in 10 Americans described Israel as either a U.S. rival or an adversary.
The U.S. provides Israel with more than $3 billion a year in military and other assistance and the close relationship has endured over the decades despite not infrequent spats over policy, most notably over Iran and treatment of the Palestinians.
Overall, 61% of Americans disapprove of how Biden is handling the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with only 35% approving. That number was slightly lower than Biden’s overall approval rating.
Many Americans don’t see a need for the U.S. to change its position in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. About 4 in 10 Americans, or 44%, said the U.S. gives about the right amount of support to Israel in the conflict, while 27% said it’s too supportive of Israel and 23% not supportive enough.
About the same percentage, 42%, say the correct amount of support is given to the Palestinians, with 30% saying they want more support and 21% wanting less.
Among Republicans, 34% said they would like the U.S. to give more support to Israel, but slightly more (40%) say the current level is sufficient. Only 11% of Democrats said the U.S. needs to be giving more assistance to Israel. About half of Democrats said the current amount is “about right” while only about a third said the U.S. is too supportive of Israel, the poll found.
In their meeting Wednesday, Biden is expected to reaffirm steadfast American commitment to Israel’s security in the turbulent Middle East. At the same time, his administration is hoping to give Netanyahu one of his major asks — entry into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, which would allow Israelis to visit the United States on a temporary basis without a visa.
U.S. law requires that Americans, including Palestinian-Americans, be treated the same in order to qualify for the program. Israel has taken several steps to ensure equal treatment for all Americans entering Israel but it has only until the end of September to prove that the criteria have been met. Otherwise, Israel must requalify for the program during the next budget year, which begins Oct. 1.
In terms of the Palestinian conflict, about two-thirds of Americans profess neutrality, according to the AP-NORC poll — 37% said they sympathize with neither Israel nor the Palestinians, while 29% said they sympathized with both equally.
A similar percentage, 58%, said they neither favor nor oppose the creation of a Palestinian state, while 22% favor it and 15% oppose it.
___
The poll of 1,165 adults was conducted Aug. 10-14 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
veryGood! (5951)
Related
- Judge sets April trial date for Sarah Palin’s libel claim against The New York Times
- Can an employee be fired for not fitting into workplace culture? Ask HR
- Oregon man convicted of murder in fatal shooting of sheriff’s deputy in Washington state
- Jury convicts man with ties to ‘boogaloo’ movement in 2020 killing of federal security officer
- Why Suits' Gabriel Macht Needed Time Away From Harvey Specter After Finale
- 'I never even felt bad': LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey on abrupt heart procedure
- Five children break into Maine school causing up to $30,000 in damages: police
- Michigan mom sentenced up to 5 years in prison for crash into pond that killed her 3 sons
- As CFP rankings punish SEC teams, do we smell bias against this proud and mighty league?
- US consumer confidence tumbles in September as American anxiety about the future grows
Ranking
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign chancellor to step down at end of academic year
- Musk’s X is the biggest purveyor of disinformation, EU official says
- Multiple striking auto workers struck by car outside plant
- Jill Biden unveils dedicated showcase of art by military children in the White House East Wing
- The Masked Singer's Ice King Might Be a Jonas Brother
- Peloton's Robin Arzón Wants to Help You Journal Your Way to Your Best Life
- Costco now offering virtual medical care for $29
- Car crashes into Amish horse-drawn buggy in Minnesota, killing 2 people and the horse
Recommendation
-
Trump’s economic agenda for his second term is clouding the outlook for mortgage rates
-
8 people electrocuted as floods cause deaths and damage across South Africa’s Western Cape
-
Danielle Fishel meets J. Cole over 10 years after rapper name-dropped her in a song: 'Big fan'
-
Tiger Woods Caddies for 14-Year-Son Charlie at Golf Tournament
-
Brian Kelly asks question we're all wondering after Alabama whips LSU, but how to answer?
-
Kerry Washington Details Decision to Have an Abortion in Her 20s
-
Narcissists can't stand these traits. Here's how to become immune to narcissists.
-
RHOSLC's Monica Garcia Claps Back at Lisa Barlow's $60,000 Ring Dig