A new University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll (UMD CIP) has found that Americans are more sympathetic to Palestinians than Israelis, a historic shift in US public opinion that comes as the US government continues to support Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip.
The poll found that 28% of respondents sympathized more with the Palestinians and 22% said they sympathized more with the Israelis, while 26% said they sympathized with both sides equally, 12% said “neither,” and 13% said they didn’t know.
Sympathy for Palestinians is stronger among Americans ages 18-34, with 37% of them saying they sympathize more with the Palestinians and just 11% sympathizing more with the Israelis.
The results are divided by political party, with Republicans much more sympathetic toward Israelis (46%) than Palestinians (7%). Sympathy for Palestinians is stronger among younger Republicans, with 12% saying they’re more sympathetic toward Palestinians and 24% choosing the Israelis.
UMD CIP said that the results follow trends from other polling organizations, but its poll was the first to find more US sympathy for Palestinians than Israelis. The poll was conducted between July 29 and August 7, 2025, a time when more US media outlets began reporting on the Israeli-imposed starvation in Gaza.
The poll found that 40% of Americans believe President Trump’s policy toward the Israeli-Palestinian issue is “too pro-Israel,” while only 3% said he was “too pro-Palestinian,” and 27% say it’s “about right.”
UMD CIP also found that 41% of Americans, including 67% of Democrats and 14% of Republicans, believe that Israel’s actions in Gaza either constitute genocide (22%) or are “akin to genocide” (19%). Just 22% of respondents said that Israel’s actions were justified under the country’s “right to self-defense.”
The majority of respondents acknowledged the US government’s responsibility for Israel’s military operations, with 61% agreeing that US military, economic, and diplomatic support for Israel enables Israeli actions in Gaza (34% strongly and 27% somewhat).
