YouGov Eurotracker + USA
June 7 - July 8, 2024
5 Key Takeaways
2.25 Minute Video Summary
The US maintains significantly more favorable views towards Israel's military actions compared to Western Europe. Only 49% of Americans believe Israel has likely committed war crimes in Gaza, compared to 62-74% in Western European countries. Among European nations, Germany is the most skeptical about Israeli war crimes (62% believe it's likely), while Spain is the most convinced (74%). This transatlantic divide, and the variations within Europe, could impact unified Western approaches to the conflict.
Support for a ceasefire is much lower in the US than in Western Europe, with significant variations among European countries. Only 49% of Americans support a ceasefire, compared to 61-76% in Western Europe. Italy shows the strongest support for a ceasefire (76%), while Sweden has the lowest support among European countries surveyed (61%). This suggests that pressure on Israel to end military operations is likely to be stronger from European nations, particularly southern European countries.
Americans are less supportive of ICC arrest warrants for Israeli leadership compared to Western Europeans, with Spain and Italy being the most critical of Israel. Only 38% of Americans support an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, versus 44-57% in Western European countries. Spain (57%) and Italy (57%) show the highest support for such action, while Germany (44%) shows the lowest among European countries. This could lead to tensions between the US and its European allies, particularly southern European nations, if the ICC proceeds with charges.
The two-state solution has less support in the US than in Western Europe, though it's still the most popular option across all countries. 56% of Americans support a two-state solution, compared to 61-71% in Western European countries. Italy shows the strongest support (71%) for this solution, while Sweden has the lowest support (61%) among European countries. This suggests that alternative solutions might find more receptive audiences in the US and certain European countries like Sweden.
While sympathy for Palestinians is growing among young people across all surveyed countries, the overall US public remains more pro-Israel than Western Europeans, with significant variations within Europe. 33% of Americans sympathize more with Israel versus 19% for Palestinians. In Europe, Germany shows the highest sympathy for Israel (19%), while Italy shows the lowest (7%). Conversely, Spain shows the highest sympathy for Palestinians (34%), while Germany shows the lowest (15%). The generational divide is particularly stark in the US, suggesting a potential long-term shift in Western public opinion that could reshape foreign policies towards the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the coming decades.
Methodology
The poll was conducted between June 7th and July 8th, 2024, among over 10,000 Western Europeans and Americans (2,292 adults in Great Britain, 1,004 adults in France, 2,115 adults in Germany, 1,015 adults in Denmark, 1,021 adults in Sweden, 1,029 adults in Spain, 1,014 adults in Italy, and 1,135 U.S. adult citizens).
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