How Religion Affects Americans’ Support for Israelis or Palestinians

With the situation in the Middle East continuing, Gallup has conducted a poll to see which group Americans tend to be more sympathetic toward: the Israelis or the Palestinians. The poll discovered that “religious Americans are significantly more likely than less religious Americans to be sympathetic to the Israelis.”

The chart below shows exactly how church attendance affected individual’s opinions:

As is evident in the chart above, those who say they make church a regular part of their lives tend to support the Israelis more than the Palestinians. However, even among those who say they never attend church, the Israelis still received the most support.

Gallup reported that the poll included a survey of more than 14,000 adults and was conducted every February from 2001 through 2014. The survey focused around the question, “in the Middle East situation, are your sympathies more with the Israelis or more with the Palestinians?” Although the results have fluctuated over the years, the Israelis consistently receive more sympathy than the Palestinians from Americans.

Taking the poll a step further, Gallup has also determined which side different religions lean. Taking into account the opinions of Jews, various Christian groups, and those claiming no religious affiliation, Gallup discovered the following:

More than 9 in 10 Jews expressed sympathy for the Israelis. Following the Jews, 79 percent of the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly referred to as Mormons, are in support of the Israelis along with more than half of almost every religious group polled. However, the Israelis still received more support than the Palestinians even from those who claim no religious identity, albeit the percentage is significantly lower than the religious groups.

Visit gallup.com for more information on how religion plays a large role in Americans’ opinion of the Middle East situation.