A new Pew survey has found that the majority of American adults — 53% — have an unfavorable view of Israel, a figure that has risen in recent years.
In March 2022, Pew conducted a similar poll that found 42% of US adults viewed Israel unfavorably. The rise in the negative view of Israel comes in the wake of Hamas’s October 7 attack and Israel’s unleashing of its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, which Americans have been able to follow closely on social media.
Both polls showed that Democrats are more likely to have a negative view of Israel than Republicans. In the new survey, Pew found that 69% of Democrats view Israel unfavorably, while only 37% of Republicans do.
However, a negative view of Israel is much more common among younger Republicans. The poll found that 50% of Republicans aged 18-49 have a negative view of Israel, while only 23% of Republicans over 50 view Israel unfavorably.
The poll also found that 52% of American adults have little or no confidence in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ability to “do the right thing regarding world affairs,” while only 32% have confidence in him.
The increase of an unfavorable view of Israel among Americans could mean Israel is in trouble when it comes to long-term support from the US, and Israel’s military is extremely reliant on US assistance. A senior Israeli Air Force official said last year that without US support, the Israeli military could only sustain operations in Gaza for a few months.
