A majority of Americans still lean towards impartiality in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, but an increasing number are taking sides

 A new survey has revealed that opinions regarding the war Israel-Palestine war have grown more divided, especially among partisan groups and within the Democratic constituency.

While the majority of Americans still lean towards maintaining impartiality regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an increasing number of people are opting to take a stance on one side or the other, a February 2024 Chicago Council on Global Affairs-Ipsos survey shows.

When asked if the United States should take Israel's side, take the Palestinians' side, or not take either side, 56 percent of Americans said the country should not take a side in the Israeli-Palestinian war. This marks an eight percentage point decrease since September 2023, according to the Council's findings.

The percentage of Americans advocating for the US to remain neutral in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has hit its lowest point since the Council began posing this question in 2002, the survey shows.

The portion of the general public advocating for the US to support Israel in the war has increased by four percentage points (31 percent, up from 27 percent), spanning all political affiliations.

The proportion of Americans siding with the Palestinians has also risen by four percentage points during this time frame (11 percent, up from 7 percent) but solely among Democrats and Independents.

In terms of Democrats, 62 percent continue to say that the US should not take either side, which represents a decline of 12 percentage points from September 2023.

Likewise, the majority of Independents still favour the US maintaining neutrality (60 percent), though this signifies a decrease of seven points over the same period.

US alliance with Israel 'under scrutiny'

In terms of Republicans advocating for neutrality in the war, it decreased by seven percentage points (41 percent, down from 48 percent). Conversely, the majority of Republicans now say that the US should align with Israel (56 percent, up from 49 percent).

When it comes to supporting the restricting of military aid to Israel, slightly more than half of Americans (53 percent) endorse it.

Despite the escalating humanitarian crisis resulting from the ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza, the percentage of Americans supporting restrictions on military aid to Israel has remained consistent since 2021.

"As the war continues and international calls for a ceasefire grow louder, Washington’s longstanding alliance with Israel is being placed under greater scrutiny," the report says.

"This is especially true among Democrats, who are divided on the benefits of the US-Israel security relationship to US national security, and who have similar proportions wanting the US to favour either Israel or the Palestinians."

On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden secured victory in the Democratic primary in Michigan. However, a significant number of voters opting for an "uncommitted" ballot highlighted concerns over his backing of Israel's actions in Gaza, potentially posing challenges for him in this crucial swing state.

Over 100,000 individuals in Michigan cast uncommitted votes in the Democratic primary, signalling a significant win for Arab, Muslim, and progressive organisers who spearheaded the campaign to voice opposition against the administration's unwavering support for Israel's military offensive in Gaza.