BICOM

Republican voters in the US support the Israeli government far more than Democrat voters, according to new research published by the Pew Center.

The survey, conducted between 1-15 April among 10,523 adults by the Pew Center’s nationally representative American Trends Panel, showed that 61 per cent of Republicans view Israel’s government favourably compared to 26 per cent of Democrats.

The survey also revealed a generational divide. Only 27 per cent of Republicans younger than 30 have a favourable view of the Israeli government.

Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are also more likely to hold favourable views of Israelis than Democrats and Democratic leaners, with 77 per cent compared to 57 per cent.

When respondents were asked about which side they sympathised more with, both Israelis and Palestinians were viewed more favourably than their respective governments. 64 per cent of people were favourable to Israelis compared to 41 per cent toward the Israeli government; 46 per cent of people were favourable to the Palestinian people compared with just 19 per cent toward the Palestinian government.

The survey also showed that 46 per cent of Republicans have a favourable opinion of Israelis and an unfavourable view of Palestinians, whilst 30 per cent have favourable opinions of both peoples. Similarly, while 51 per cent of Republicans have a favourable view of the Israeli government and an unfavourable opinion of the Palestinian government, 30 per cent have unfavourable opinions of both governments.