A new poll from the Buckley Institute has sparked alarm after finding that one-third of U.S. college students believe Palestinians are a better ally to America than Israel. The claim is not just misguided—it is dangerously false. While activists portray Palestinians as oppressed victims who share American ideals, the reality is that Palestinian leadership and ideology are steeped in radical jihad, anti-Western hate, and open hostility toward both Israel and the United States.
Israel, by contrast, remains America’s most reliable ally in the Middle East: a democratic state that shares U.S. values, provides critical intelligence, and strengthens Western security against terror.
A Poll Exposes Campus Confusion
The Buckley Institute’s September 28, 2025, poll highlights how deeply anti-Israel narratives have penetrated U.S. campuses. Students are increasingly fed claims that Palestinians are freedom fighters aligned with justice and human rights. This framing ignores decades of Palestinian leadership openly glorifying terrorism, rejecting peace, and aligning themselves with movements that target the West.
Organizations such as Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and even the PLO have rejected coexistence, instead calling for Israel’s elimination and celebrating attacks against America itself. Far from being partners in peace or freedom, they stand as part of the same radical Islamist camp that has killed Americans abroad and targeted Western societies at home.
The Myth of “Better Allies”
Activists and students argue that Palestinians are “better allies” than Israel, presenting them as a people fighting for justice against oppression. These talking points circulate widely on social media and in campus protests, reinforced by chants of “From the river to the sea,” which call not for coexistence but for Israel’s destruction.
Supporters of this narrative attempt to frame Palestinians as natural partners for America, suggesting their struggle mirrors U.S. ideals of civil rights. But the evidence tells a very different story.
Radicalism Over Rights
Palestinians have repeatedly aligned themselves with America’s enemies. Surveys show that even after immense suffering in Gaza, two-thirds of Palestinians expressed support for Hamas’s October 7 massacre—an atrocity that targeted civilians in cold blood. This is not about human rights; it is endorsement of terror as a legitimate path.
The hostility extends beyond Israel. Palestinians were filmed celebrating the September 11 attacks, handing out candy in the streets as Americans mourned their dead. Today, “Death to America” remains a rallying cry in both Gaza and Ramallah, echoed at pro-Palestinian rallies on U.S. campuses.
No Peace in the Charter
The ideology itself rejects peace. Hamas’s charter and the Palestinian National Covenant still call for Israel’s destruction “from the river to the sea.” As Moshe Dann wrote in the Jerusalem Post, “Palestinianism is the greatest obstacle to peace. It rejects Israel’s very existence.” That rejectionism directly undermines U.S. interests, because Israel’s survival is a cornerstone of Western security in the region.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Islamic Jihad—an organization working hand-in-hand with Hamas—is formally designated a terrorist group by the U.S., Canada, the UK, and Australia. Its sole mission is Israel’s destruction through violence, putting it firmly in the camp of global jihad, not partnership with the West.
Israel: The Ally That Delivers
Unlike Palestinian factions, Israel stands as a proven ally. A democratic state governed by rule of law, Israel has consistently shared intelligence that saves American lives, pioneered technology used worldwide, and fought alongside the U.S. against terrorism. Leaders from both political parties affirm that U.S. security is stronger with Israel’s support.
The contrast is stark: Palestinians align with radical Islam and anti-American hate. Israel strengthens the West, protects democracy, and stands with America in the fight against terror.
NPR – Palestinian polling on Hamas support (June 2024): https://www.npr.org; Jewish Journal – “Why Aren’t We Exposing More Palestinian Hate Against America?” (Sept. 18, 2024): https://jewishjournal.com; AJC Translate Hate – “From the River to the Sea”: https://ajc.org/translatehate; Australian Government – Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist designation (2018 update): https://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au; Avalon Project – Hamas Charter (1988): https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/hamas.asp; U.S. State Department – Security cooperation with Israel: https://www.state.gov; Jerusalem Post – Moshe Dann on Palestinianism: https://www.jpost.com
