ABSTRACT
Americans are opinionated about Israel, have a favorable view of Israel and support Israel in the Arab-Israeli conflict. In a Gallup survey from February 2019, 69 percent of respondents said they have a very favorable or mostly favorable view of Israel. The trend of increasing opinion and support, however, masks a fundamental change in the structure of Americans’ attitudes toward Israel that is revealed in an increasing partisan divide. In 1989, there was no meaningful difference in favorability ratings between Republicans and Democrats. Surveys during Obama’s two terms in office reveal that Americans did not find the president to be a strong supporter of Israel. Americans were divided on this issue during Obama’s first term in office. In December 2016, just before entering office, the president-elect responded to UN Security Council Resolution 2334, which states that Israel’s settlement activities constitute a “flagrant violation” of international law. The chapter also presents an overview on the key concepts discussed in this book.
