Americans strongly support US-Israel ties, see Iran proxies as direct threat: Poll

David Isaac

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Supporters of CUFI at the 2019 “Night to Honor Israel” at Pastor John Hagee’s Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas. Source: CUFI/Facebook.

Despite post-Oct. 7 campus upheavals, a trend toward isolationism and a surge in global antisemitism, a clear majority of Americans remain steadfast in support of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

That is the conclusion of a poll conducted in March whose findings were released at the Jewish News Syndicate’s International Policy Conference taking place in Jerusalem, April 27-28.

Nationwide, 65% of Americans consider the U.S. relationship with Israel either “very” or “somewhat important,” highlighting the bipartisan and cross-generational recognition of Israel as a vital ally in the Middle East.

Attitudes have changed little from a similar poll in September 2024. Then, 62% of Americans said the U.S.-Israel relationship was “very” or “somewhat important.”

“Our polling data in the U.S. and Israel, now and in the past, has consistently illustrated how the U.S.-Israel relationship is ingrained in the fabric of Americans,” said Jennifer Sutton, executive director of the Council for a Secure America, which sponsored both polls.

CSA, a U.S. nonprofit, focuses on issues related to U.S. energy independence and the historic 2020 U.S.-brokered agreement between Israel and several Muslim states.

“CSA is committed to championing the ideals of global energy security and promoting the importance of the Abraham Accords and their critical impact on geopolitical security, investment and global trade,” Sutton told JNS.

In tandem with the nationwide survey, CSA conducted a poll focusing on nine energy-producing or “heartland” states: Iowa, Indiana, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming.

There, the change was more dramatic. The proportion of those viewing the U.S.-Israel relationship as “very” or “somewhat important,” rose from 51% in September to 65% in March.

The survey also found a majority (53%) of U.S. adults agree that “America should take a leadership role in stabilizing and ending conflict in the Middle East,” reflecting support for continued engagement—especially in partnership with democratic allies such as Israel, Sutton said.

This was reflected in the response to a question asking whether “the United States should take a more or less active role in combating foreign enemies and supporting our allies, or is its current role about right?”

Eighty-two percent of respondents said the U.S. should take a more active role or maintain its current role. Only 17% said it should take a less active role.

Iran’s proxies

Fifty-seven percent of Americans agreed with the statement that “Iran’s proxies in the Middle East, such as Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis, pose a direct threat on the United States and our Western allies.”

That number remained little changed from the September 2024 poll.

However, the narrower nine-state poll registered a significant increase among those agreeing with the statement that Iran’s proxies pose a direct threat, up to 60% from September’s 45%.

Only 9% of Americans nationwide “somewhat” or “strongly” disagreed with the “direct threat” statement. That figure dropped to 6% in the nine-state poll.

Those states also notched a 14% rise among those calling for an increase in military action against Iran’s proxies, Hezbollah, Hamas and the Houthis.

“While CSA educates policy makers from across America, recent educational initiatives and state-level outreach are most robust in these nine states,” said Sutton, explaining the jump. “The recent data confirms audiences in Middle America understand the threat of Iran not only to our allies, but also to the United States.”

Eighty-five percent of Americans favored either increasing (28%) or maintaining (57%) current U.S. military action against Iran and its terrorist proxies.

“This strong backing reflects the American public’s commitment to confronting extremist threats alongside our ally Israel,” Sutton said.

However, the younger the age group, the less it supported the view that Iran’s proxies pose a direct threat. Baby boomers, ages 79-61, were most supportive of this view (75%); then Gen X, ages 54-60, (59%); followed by Millennials (aka Gen Y), ages 29-44, (52%); and Gen Z, ages 13-28, (29%).

“Polling shows as age increases with Americans, there is a deeper understanding of the global impact of terrorism. This can be attributed to their exposure to world events and numerous conflicts including the 1973 oil embargo, the [1979-81] Iran hostage crisis, the [1990-91] Gulf War, 9/11, and the subsequent war on terror,” Sutton said.

Despite the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, launched from a Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip, the poll found nationwide American support for a two-state solution, which would establish a Palestinian state alongside Israel, remained steady over the September 2024 poll, at 32% from 31%.

Support for a two-state solution increased with educational level: post-graduates (54%); bachelor’s degree (47%); no college degree (32%).

In the nine-state poll, there was actually a jump from 21% to 32% in favor of a two-state solution over the September 2024 poll.

Polling firm Morning Consult conducted the survey, collecting data from a national sample of 2,201 American adults on March 20-21. The margin of error was +/-2.0%.

Jewish Israelis

CSA also commissioned a poll of Jewish Israelis (Feb. 2-4, 2025). Unlike the U.S. poll, that survey found a clear majority of Israelis opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state next to Israel (64%).

It found “near unanimous agreement” on the importance of the Israel-U.S. relationship. Ninety-six percent of respondents said it was very (74%) or somewhat (24%) important.

It found the Abraham Accords “wildly popular” among Israelis, with 79% supporting them. Israelis also supported a future Israel-Saudi deal, with 80% in favor.

“This affirms the transformational impact of U.S.-brokered diplomacy and signals public appetite for expanding peace through strength,” Sutton said.

Using a comparison with earlier surveys, the poll showed that Israeli opposition to a Palestinian state has increased markedly, from 40% opposed in 2015 to 64% opposed in 2025.

The Israeli poll was conducted on Feb. 2-4, 2025 by Panels Ltd., surveying 529 respondents. The margin of sampling error was +/-4.0% with a confidence level of 95%.

The CSA also included in its report Palestinian polls taken from publicly available sources.

They revealed disturbing attitudes on the part of Palestinians, including overwhelming support (75%) for the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, in which some 1,200 Israelis were butchered.

Violence against Israel is still seen as effective among Palestinians, with 48% agreeing with the premise in a September 2024 poll, although that is down from 64% in a November 2023 survey.

Hamas is viewed as the entity most deserving to lead Palestinians by 43% of those surveyed in that poll.

The Palestinian poll’s sample size was 1,200 or more adults interviewed face-to-face in more than 100 randomly selected locations. The margin of error was +/-3%.

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