Quinnipiac: Support for Israel down as Gaza war rages on

Americans are souring on U.S. support for Israel as its war against the Palestinian militant group Hamas approaches a third month and the Israel Defense Forces faces increasing accusations of disproportionately targeting civilians in the Gaza Strip, according to a Quinnipiac poll released Wednesday.

At the same time, support for aid to Ukraine remains firm overall but is flagging among Republicans, the poll said.

"While Israel's war effort continues to get full throated support from the GOP, it's clear Republican voters are losing patience with supporting Ukraine," university polling analyst Tim Malloy said in a statement.

Just 45 percent of voters surveyed said they backed sending more military aid to Israel, a decrease from last month when 54 percent voiced support for more military aid.

While the poll found that Republicans are still in favor of more assistance for Israel’s war effort, and a majority of voters still generally say that supporting Israel is in the interest of the U.S., 58 percent of Democrats and 48 percent of independents said they opposed aid for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. Sixty percent of Hispanic and 56 percent of Black voters also disapprove of more military aid to Israel, according to the poll.

Sympathy for Israel broadly has also dropped, from 54 percent in November to 49 percent this month. Voters are also split on whether Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks was appropriate.

Since Hamas launched those attacks, the U.S. has been one of Israel’s main allies in the international community, providing it with verbal and military support as it seeks to eliminate the Iran-backed militant group from the Gaza Strip. But this stance has prompted backlash from Arab Americans and progressives at home, as well as other countries who have called for a cease-fire and condemned Israel for its conduct in the war. Mounting civilian casualties have prompted allegations that the Israel Defense Forces are deliberately targeting hospitals, schools and other civilian installations.

Meanwhile, 55 percent of voters say they back aid to Ukraine as it repels Russia’s invasion, even as the war effort stalls and winter limits progress on the battlefield. But the partisan gap is wide — 77 percent of Democrats and 51 percent of independents support more military aid to Ukraine, while 51 percent of Republicans oppose it. This comes as Congress attempts to broker a compromise deal that would allow for Ukraine aid and ensure greater funding for border security.

The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,647 self-identified registered voters nationwide between Dec. 14 and 18. It has a margin of error of 2.4 percentage points.