The U.S.-Israel war on Iran, which began on February 28, has killed more than 1,200 Iranians and seven U.S. service members, among others. The Trump administration has offered conflicting accounts of the role Israel played in the U.S.’ decision to strike Iran.
In a new survey, Data for Progress, in partnership with the Institute for Middle East Understanding and Demand Progress, asked U.S. likely voters whether Israel has the right amount of influence on U.S. foreign policy, whether a war with Iran benefits the U.S. or Israel more, and whether Trump’s strikes on Iran have made them more or less likely to vote for a Republican in the upcoming midterm elections. The survey also tested the effectiveness of a hypothetical Democrat who defends the United States’ military relationship with Israel, compared with one who prioritizes domestic concerns.
Data for Progress first asked voters about the Israeli government’s role in determining U.S. foreign policy priorities. The survey finds that a narrow plurality of voters overall (43%) feel that the Israeli government has “too much” influence over the U.S. foreign policy agenda, while 41% think it has “the right amount” of influence and only 5% think it has “too little” influence. This is driven by a majority of Democrats, 59% of whom believe the Israeli government has too much influence over U.S. foreign policy, alongside 48% of Independents. In contrast, only 22% and 36% of Democrats and Independents, respectively, feel that the Israeli government has the right amount of influence over U.S. foreign policy.