Poll shows partisan divide over Israel that could dominate Hagel nomination

By Julian Pecquet - 01/10/13 06:31 PM ET

Republicans are much more likely than Democrats to favor Israel over the Palestinians, a new poll shows, a partisan divide that helps explain the fight over Chuck Hagel's nomination for secretary of Defense.

Both parties overwhelming favor Israel over the Palestinians, according to the latest polling from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press: Republicans by a ratio of 70 percent to 2 percent, and Democrats by 41 percent to 13 percent. But while Democratic opinion hasn't much budged since the 1978 peace accord between Egypt and Israel, Republicans' preference for Israel has steadily increased, from 49 percent in 1978 to 56 percent in 2002 to today's 70 percent.

Republicans are also much more likely to think the United States isn't doing enough to support its Middle Eastern ally. Almost half — 46 percent — of Republicans surveyed in October said the Obama administration hadn't been supportive enough (57 percent among conservative Republicans), a view held by only 9 percent of Democrats.

The partisan divide is expected to play a key role in Hagel's nomination hearing. The former Republican senator from Nebraska has been criticized by pro-Israel hawks for calling for talks with Iran and Hamas and describing an intimidating “Jewish lobby.”