New Poll: Voters Oppose Integrating Israeli Military into Pentagon
A poll released on August 18 by IMEU Policy Project and Demand Progress, and conducted by Data For Progress, found a clear majority of voters oppose a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act, known as Section 219, that would further integrate the Israeli military and Israeli military companies into the Pentagon, giving them special access to U.S. military systems, sensitive technologies, and defense supply chains.
The military authorization bill, which includes Section 219, was passed by the House in July and awaits a vote in the Senate. Read more in our memo here.
KEY FINDINGS:
Clear majorities of voters oppose more integration with the Israeli military.
57% say the Israeli military and Israeli weapons companies should not receive increased access to US military systems
61% of voters oppose a military authorization bill that would deepen the integration of Israeli weapons companies into the Pentagon at a level higher than any other country—this includes 78% of Democrats and 73% of independents
Voters think the US-Israel relationship is unbalanced, and want more separation
51% say Israel benefits from the relationship more, while just 12% says the US benefits more.
A plurality of Americans think Donald Trump is giving too much support for Israel (49%) and that Israel has too much influence over US foreign policy (45%). Just 4% believe Israel should have more influence, and just 8% say Trump should give more support.
Integrating the US and Israeli militaries comes with real dangers. In 2023, Benjamin Netanyahu was able to veto US officials who wanted to provide air defense systems to Ukraine in its war against Russia’s illegal invasion, even though the systems were made in the US and paid for by US tax dollars. And this year, the Pentagon raised the threat of Israeli spying on the US to its highest level.