More than 40 percent of voters think New Zealand should recognise a Palestinian state, the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll has found.
Cabinet made an in-principle decision on the largely diplomatic measure on Monday, though the public is still in the dark as to what it is.
This latest poll tested the mood of the public on both recognition and the government's response to the war in Gaza more generally.
It asked 1000 voters, "Should New Zealand recognise a Palestinian state?"
The results show 42.5 percent said yes, 22.1 percent said no and 35.4 percent said they didn't know.
Voters were also asked, "What do you make of the New Zealand government's response to the war in Gaza?"
The results show 31.1 percent said it was about right, 31 percent said the government should do more to support Palestine, 27.7 percent didn't know and 10.2 percent said the government should do more to support Israel.
Unsurprisingly, left-bloc voters skewed in favour of recognition and the government doing more to support Palestine, while right-bloc voters skewed against recognition and said the government's response was about right.
Around 20,000 people marched down Auckland's Queen Street on Saturday to demand the government impose further sanctions on Israel.
It's still not clear what New Zealand's position on recognition is, despite Cabinet making an in-principle decision on Monday.
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters will announce it in New York next week at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
It's understood he'll take further soundings on the issue when he gets to America, including from the French, and advise coalition party leaders if there is any change to the in-principle decision.
France, Australia, Canada and the UK have already made conditional commitments to recognise Palestine at UNGA.
It's an issue that has generated momentum as the leader's week draws closer and UN members states prepare to share remarks about pressing issues.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon won't be there but said he was proud of the coalition's "very consistent, very balanced" approach to the conflict in Gaza.
"There's strong views on all sides of this debate. You see that online, you see it out there with respect to the public. There always has been very different and very strong views around the Middle East."
On recognition, Luxon said Cabinet would monitor developments in the coming days and make a final decision "very close" to when Peters announces the coalition's position at UNGA.
Luxon said comments from ACT MP Simon Court, who has accused those who marched for Palestine on Saturday of "playing terro dress up" in a post on X, were not helpful.
"We support free speech but those comments are unhelpful. It's not what I'd say."
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the coalition was not in touch with public sentiment on the conflict in Gaza.
"I think New Zealanders want New Zealand to take a principled position. That includes recognising Palestine, it includes more sanctions on Israel and it includes speaking very, very strongly about the unfolding genocide that's taking place there."
This poll of 1000 people was conducted by Reid Research, using quota sampling and weighting to ensure representative cross section by age, gender and geography. The poll was conducted through online interviews between 4-12 September 2025 and has a maximum margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent at a 95 percent confidence level.