A new survey found broad support for Israel among likely Republican primary voters, along with strong approval of U.S. President Donald Trump’s handling of the U.S.-Israel relationship and opposition to candidates viewed as hostile to the Jewish state.
The poll, conducted online by Echelon Insights for the Washington Free Beacon from June 5-9 among 1,121 likely Republican primary voters, found that 68% said the United States should “completely” or “mostly” support Israel as an ally. The same percentage said they side with Israel over the Palestinians in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while 67% said U.S. and Israeli geopolitical interests are “usually aligned.” The survey’s margin of error was plus or minus 3.3 percentage points.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents (73%) said they would be more likely to support a Republican candidate who backs a strong U.S.-Israel relationship, and 69% said they favor candidates who denounce antisemitism and say it has no place in the conservative movement.
The survey also found that 74% approve of Trump’s handling of the U.S.-Israel relationship. Some 76% approved of recent U.S. military operations against Iran, while 75% approved of Trump’s handling of the conflict with Tehran.
Respondents also indicated that anti-Israel positions could carry political costs in Republican primaries. Some 64% said they would be less likely to support a candidate who backs the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement against Israel, while 62% said they would be less likely to support a candidate who calls Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu “a war criminal.”
Another 54% said voting against congressional resolutions condemning antisemitism would make them less likely to back a candidate.
