2014 Opinion Poll

Key Findings of the 2014 Opinion Poll

Awareness of the issue is significant and increasing

54% say they know a fair amount (41%) or a lot (13%) about the issue.
This ‘aware’ population has grown steadily in the last five years – was only 38% in 2009.
43% say they don’t know much, with only 3% saying they know nothing.

Australian sympathy for Israel is decreasing

More people are sympathetic towards the Palestinians than towards the Israelis: (27% for the Palestinians, 21% for the Israelis).
There is a decrease in sympathy with Israelis, which is 6% lower than 2011.
An increasing number of people say they have sympathies for neither (30% cf 25% in 2009; 21% in 2011)
Strongest sympathies for Palestine are in Tasmania, Sydney, regional NSW and the ACT.
Strongest sympathies for Israel are found in Tasmania, Brisbane, regional Victoria and Sydney.
Those who have engaged with tertiary education are more likely to sympathise with Palestine than Israel.
People sympathizing with Israel are most likely to be over 50 years old.

Australians support Palestine’s statehood bid

57% think Australia should vote yes in the UN to recognising Palestine (increase of 6% since 2011).
Only 8% suggest we should vote against an independent Palestinian state (decrease of 7% since 2011).

Australians are more likely to think the Abbott Government favors Israel.

30% say that they think the Abbott Government favors Israel, just 3% think they favour Palestine.
This figure has increased since 2009, where 20% indicated that the Government supports Israel.
More people perceive the Abbott Government favors Israel than the previous surveys which asked the same question of a Labor Government (cf 25% in 2011; 20% in 2009).

Many Australians feel Israeli military action in Gaza was not justified