Gallup suggests the decline could be due to tensions between Netanyahu and Obama. Gallup poll: Democrats losing sympathy for Israel

The number of Democrats who feel more sympathetic toward Israelis than Palestinians has dropped 10 points in one year, according to a new poll.

In a Gallup poll released Monday, less than half of Democrats — 48 percent — say they sympathize more with Israelis than Palestinians when it comes to tensions in the Middle East. By contrast, 83 percent of Republicans sided with Israel. Fifty-nine percent of Independents answered similarly.


The percentage of Republicans who support Israel has risen in recent years. In a 2000 Gallup poll, about 53 percent of Republicans expressed sympathy for the Jewish state and that number has been steadily increasing. In this most recent poll from Gallup, only 7 percent of Republicans sided with Palestinians.

The decline in Democratic support for Israel, Gallup suggests, could be due to the rising tensions between Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and U.S. President Barack Obama.

Netanyahu plans to address Congress to rally members against a possible Iran nuclear deal on March 3. He was invited by House Speaker John Boehner, who reportedly alerted the White House to the news only shortly before it became public.

Democrats have called the invitation inappropriate, pointing to Israel’s March 17 elections and to what White House officials say is a breach of normal diplomatic protocol. Some congressional Democrats intend to skip the speech, and Vice President Joe Biden will be in Latin America.

This poll was conducted between Feb. 8-11 among 837 adults and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.