Yossi Schwartz, International Socialist League, International Socialist League in Israel/Occupied Palestine 03.08.2025
The results of a new Gallup poll today (August 3) show the depth of the erosion of US public support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip. For the first time since Gallup began tracking the issue in 1997, 52% of Americans hold a negative opinion of Prime Minister Netanyahu, the highest percentage ever recorded. Only 29% indicated that they have a positive opinion of the prime minister. And 19% answered that they have no opinion.
At the same time, U.S. support for Israeli military action against Hamas has dropped to 32% compared to 60% opposing it and 8% having no opinion.
The data was collected between July 7 and 21, against the backdrop of the ongoing fighting and the starving policy in Gaza and Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, where he met with President Donald Trump and other administration officials, but left the U.S. capital without signing a cease-fire agreement.
The American public’s attitudes toward Israel and Netanyahu remain polarized by political affiliation. While 71% of Republicans still support military action in Gaza, only 8% of Democrats and 25% of independents (with no apparent political affiliation) hold a similar view. As for Prime Minister Netanyahu as well, the gaps are sharp: 67% of Republicans see it as a positive number, compared to only 9% of Democrats and 19% of independents.
The rate of support for Israeli military action , between Democrats and independents, fell by 16% in each group over the same time period. These are the lowest levels of support measured between these two groups since the start of the war on Gaza,
Moreover, another public opinion poll shows that support for Trump has dropped to 40%.
These numbers are likely to have significant implications for the political arena. While the Trump administration continues to express its unconditional support for Israel, the growing distancing among independents and Democrats from Israeli government policy could make it challenging to mobilize bipartisan support in Congress, particularly on issues related to military aid and political pressure for a ceasefire.
Unlike direct elections, the presidents of the United States are elected in indirect elections by a body of 538 delegates called the Electoral College. The number of electoral votes is allocated to each of the fifty states that make up the United States according to a key equal to the number of legislators in both houses of Congress. Thus, on the one hand, a minimum representation is guaranteed to each of the fifty states (according to the principle that representation in the Senate, two senators for each state) and, on the other hand, the size of each state’s population is taken into account (according to the principle that dictates representation in the elected House of Representatives). For example, 55 electoral votes are currently allocated to the state of California equivalent to two senators and 53 members of the House of Representatives. New York and Florida were allocated 29 electoral votes equivalent to two senators and 27 members of the House of Representatives each. In contrast, only 3 electoral votes are allocated to a sparsely populated state like Alaska, equivalent to its senators and its only member of the House of Representatives.
The United States midterm elections are a period given to congressional elections held every four years in November, close to the midterm elections for a president elected two years ago who served for four years. Congressional elections are held every two years, but are called “midterm elections” only when the presidential election is not held on the same date. In midterm elections, all members of the House of Representatives (435) and one-third of the senators (33 or 34 out of 100) are elected.
In addition, 34 of the 50 U.S. states elect their governors for four-year terms during midterm elections, while Vermont and New Hampshire elect governors who serve two years and are elected during both midterm and presidential elections. Thus, 36 governors are elected during the elections. Many states also elect state legislators and hold municipal elections for mayors. In voting, there are several mayors, other public offices, and a variety of civic functions and initiatives, such as referendums and public voting on laws.
This means that Trump will continue to serve as president for four years, but he could lose his majority in the Senate and even more so in the House of Representatives, making it difficult for him to implement his despicable policy.
It is clear to anyone who looks at the historical motion that Israel is walking on the same road that South African apartheid did before. However, the betrayal of the ANC and the Stalinist party led to a corrupt regime rather than a socialist state. Let us hope that in the case of the Arab revolution it will be led by a revolutionary leadership of the working class.
For the Constituent Assembly with the Palestinian refugees!
For a worker’s government supported by the Fellahin! As part of the socialist Federation of the Middle East!