Majority of Americans Oppose Sending US Forces to Defend Israel if Attacked by Iran

Israelis are braced for possible retaliatory military action from Iran after an Israeli strike killed Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh while he was in Tehran. If Iran takes military action directly against Israel, the US public seems to feel it has less skin in the game than in previous years. The 2024 Chicago Council Survey, conducted June 21–July 1, 2024, finds a majority of Americans are now opposed to using US troops to defend Israel if it is attacked. 

An overall 42 percent of the US public would favor using US troops to defend Israel if it were attached by Iran (56% oppose). While a slim majority of Republicans would favor US forces defending Israel in this scenario (53%), only four in 10 Independents (42%) and third of Democrats (34%) agree.  

The unrelenting Israeli attacks against Gaza have likely dampened American willingness to defend Israel, especially among Democrats. In addition, the narrow majority that previously supported using US troops to defend Israel if attacked by a neighboring country has now dissipated to 41 percent (55% oppose). Here too, Republicans are more likely than other partisans to favor using US troops (55%), but at much lower levels than 2015 through 2021 readings. A third of Independents (35%) and Democrats (35%) would favor using US troops to defend Israel if its neighbors attacked, also lower than previous levels.