Below 1% of US Democrats view "Israel" as top ally: Poll

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Less than one percent of Democratic Party voters identify "Israel" as one of the United States' top two allies, according to a new poll published on Wednesday.

According to the University of Maryland (UMD) study, 0.5% of Democratic respondents ranked "Israel" as their first-choice US ally, while 0.9% ranked "Israel" as their second choice.

The survey reported that Democratic voters preferred the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Mexico, France, Japan, South Korea, and China.

The poll demonstrated a 20% of Republicans and 4% of registered Independents regard "Israel" as their most important ally.

Shibley Telhami, director of the University of Maryland's Critical Issues Poll, said the results reflect a growing distance between elected Democrats and their constituents.

"The results are significant in two ways: First, they show the vast difference between Republicans and Democrats on Israel, while Republicans place "Israel" second only to the UK as a most-important ally, well ahead of key NATO allies, Democrats hardly mention "Israel" either as a first choice or a second choice and place below eight other countries including South Korea and even China," Telhami told Middle East Eye.

"Second, the results highlight the gap between Congressional Democrats who continue to speak of Israel as a key ally and their constituents who don't see it that way."

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Democrats have frequently praised "Israel" as one of the country's closest allies.

"The United States has no better friend in the world than 'Israel'," former President Barack Obama once told a White House gathering.

Earlier this year, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Washington's support for "Israel" was "ironclad" and that "Israel's creation" was the "greatest political achievement of the 20th century".

A growing rift between government and voters

Polling has revealed a growing divide between Democratic lawmakers' loyal support and Democratic Party voter base opinions on the Israeli occupation in recent years.

According to Data for Progress, 72% of Democrats supported Congresswoman Betty McCollum's proposal last year to ban US money to "Israel" used to jail Palestinian children or demolish Palestinian homes in the occupied West Bank, including occupied East Al-Quds.

Despite widespread support, the legislation had less than 15% support from House Democrats, and it has yet to be brought up for a vote after more than a year.

Another poll in 2021 indicated that the majority of Americans, 51%, rejected entirely unlimited funding to "Israel" if it continued to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank, which several international organizations consider as violating international law.

Critical Jewish community 

In recent years, Jewish Americans have been more critical of "Israel", with 25% of US Jewish voters agreeing with the statement "'Israel' is an apartheid state," according to a July 2021 study performed by the Jewish Electorate Institute.

Read more: “Israel’s” weapon of choice: Anti-Semitism

The UMD poll is based on responses from over 1,300 people and has a margin of error of just under 3%. It was performed between the 16th and 28th of March and was released amid rising tensions, as "Israel" has stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque six times this month.

A growing number of Democrats, particularly those on the party's progressive side, have been critical of "Israel" and the billions of dollars in aid offered to it by the US each year.