Pew: Americans Support Israel Over Palestinians

Americans support Israel over the Palestinians by a five-to-one ratio, a survey by the Pew Research Center has revealed.

In the poll, conducted after the conflict between Israel and Hamas forces in Gaza in November, 50 percent sympathize more with Israel, compared with just 10 percent who sympathize more with the Palestinians, Pew said.

At the same time, 23 percent had no opinion, while 13 percent said they sympathized with neither side.

In May, 48 percent sided with Israel compared to 11 percent who stood behind the Palestinians.

Pew says there continue to be “stark partisan differences’’ in Middle East sympathies.

“Conservative Republicans maintain strong support for Israel, with fully 75 percent saying they sympathize with Israel compared with just percent who sympathize with the Palestinians,’’ the non-partisan think tank said in a statement.

“By contrast, liberal Democrats are much more divided: 33 percent sympathize more with Israel, 22 percent with the Palestinians.

Independents sympathize more with Israel by a 47 percent to 13 percent margin.

Among religious groups, white evangelical Protestants remain supportive of Israel, with 67 percent sympathizing more with Israel and only 5 percent with the Palestinians.

Catholics offered more sympathy for Israel than the Palestinians by a 44 percent to 11 percent margin.

“This latest survey again shows that Americans continue to display strong support for Israel as a U.S. ally and clarity of understanding as to the nature of the Arab war on Israel,’’ Morton Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America, told