A new poll shows that 60% of U.S. adults now hold an unfavorable view of Israel, up from 53% a year ago, marking another significant drop in the country's standing with the American public as the war in Gaza and broader regional tensions continue to shape opinion.
The report, released by the Pew Research Center, found that negative views of Israel have climbed sharply in a relatively short period. It said the share of Americans with a "very unfavorable" opinion of Israel also rose, reaching 28%, up 9 percentage points from last year and nearly triple the level recorded in 2022.
The change is especially pronounced among younger Americans. In both major parties, adults under 50 are now more likely to view Israel negatively, according to the survey. Among Republicans and Republican-leaning independents ages 18 to 49, 57% now express an unfavorable opinion of Israel, up from 50% last year. Pew said older Republicans remain much more supportive.
Pew's findings also show that views of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have deteriorated alongside views of Israel itself. About 59% of Americans say they have little or no confidence in Netanyahu to do the right thing regarding world affairs, up from 52% last year.
The numbers add to a pattern that has been building since the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, and Israel's military campaign in Gaza that followed. Pew noted that unfavorable views of Israel are now nearly 20 points higher than they were in 2022. Earlier Pew research had already found Americans divided over Israel's conduct in the war against Hamas, even when many still viewed Israel's reasons for fighting as valid.
The latest survey points to growing polarization, but not in a simple partisan way. Republicans overall are still more likely than Democrats to view Israel favorably, with 58% of Republicans and Republican leaners holding a positive view versus 41% with a negative one. But Pew said even among Republicans, younger adults are moving in a more critical direction. Among Democrats and Democratic leaners, negative sentiment remains more widespread, continuing a trend that has intensified over the past two years.
For U.S. politics, the findings are likely to matter far beyond foreign policy. Israel has become a more volatile domestic issue, especially among younger voters, progressives, Arab Americans, Muslim Americans, and some Jewish voters who have expressed alarm over the scale of destruction in Gaza.
That does not mean Americans have aligned around a single alternative policy. Public opinion on the conflict remains fractured, and attitudes toward Hamas remain overwhelmingly negative in separate Pew findings.
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