Two-thirds of Americans oppose Israeli annexation of Judea and Samaria according to new poll

Two out of three Americans oppose a potential Israeli annexation of Judea and Samaria, according to a new poll conducted by the Alliance for Middle East Peace.

The poll was released on Thursday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed a framework agreement to expand construction of Jewish communities in the politically sensitive E1 area located between East Jerusalem and the Ma’ale Adumim.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich described the decision as “annexation” as Netanyahu vowed “there will be no Palestinian state.”

Critics have argued that construction of Jewish homes in the area will undermine the geographical continuity of a potential independent Palestinian state.

The Alliance for Middle East Peace, a network consisting of some 170 liberal and left-wing civil society organizations including the Shalom Hartman Institute, the progressive Women Wage Peace and the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation. The alliance received funds from both private individuals and left-wing organizations like the New Israel Fund, which have been accused of promoting an anti-Israel agenda.

The alliance received funds from both private individuals and left-wing organizations like the New Israel Fund, which have been accused for promoting an anti-Israel agenda.

The poll, shared exclusively with The Times of Israel, was conducted among 900 U.S. respondents. It asked how Americans would view a scenario in which Israel annexed Judea and Samaria (West Bank) “by force” and formally incorporated the territory into the State of Israel, rather than pursuing a broader peace agreement that includes a Palestinian state.

The poll revealed vast differences across American society. A whopping 84% of Democrat voters responded that they would “push back against annexation” compared to 55% among conservative MAGA voters.

The United Arab Emirates, which normalized ties with Israel in 2020, recently warned that Israel's move to annex Judea and Samaria would “irreparably damage” efforts toward regional integration.

Approximately 80% of those surveyed responded that the Israel-Palestinian conflict was moderately to extremely important. Among MAGA voters, the figure dropped to 69%.

The poll also found strong majority support among Americans for a U.S.-backed regional peace agreement that would include normalization between Israel, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab states, alongside the creation of a Palestinian state.

However, a majority of conservative Americans opposed establishing a Palestinian state unless it was part of a wider normalization between Israel and the Arab world. In contrast, left-wing and centrist voters supported a Palestinian state even without such normalization.

Unsurprisingly, the poll revealed sharp partisan divides over U.S. President Donald Trump’s role in forging peace in the Middle East. Among Republican voters, 79% responded that Trump's role was “critical,” while a slim majority of independent voters (52%) agreed. By contrast, 55% of Democratic voters said Trump is not needed to achieve a peace agreement in the Middle East.

The poll suggested that 75% of Republican voters and one-third of Democratic voters would back Trump if he succeeded in brokering a Middle East peace deal. However, 57% of Democrats responded they “wouldn’t care.”

The majority of American voters back U.S. financial investments in peacebuilding between Israelis and Palestinian Arabs, according to the survey.

Overall, 77% of the respondents across the political spectrum responded that peace in the Middle East would reduce the need for U.S. military interventions in the turbulent region.