A majority of Americans now hold unfavourable views of Israel, according to a new Pew Research Centre survey, with opposition particularly strong among younger voters and those on the political left amid continuing fallout from Israel’s wars in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran.
The survey found that 60 percent of Americans view Israel unfavourably, compared with 37 percent who hold favourable views. Pew said Israel’s unfavourability rating in the US had risen by seven percentage points over the past year.
The findings point to a widening generational divide. Among Americans aged 18 to 34, 74 percent reported unfavourable views of Israel. That figure fell to 65 percent among those aged 35 to 49 and 49 percent among respondents aged 50 and older.
The survey also found growing opposition towards Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Fifty-nine percent of Americans said they had little or no confidence in him, compared with 27 percent who expressed confidence.
Pew’s findings were not confined to the United States. Across the countries surveyed, the median view of Israel was 67 percent unfavourable and 25 percent favourable.
Turkey recorded one of the highest levels of opposition, with 97 percent of respondents expressing unfavourable views of Israel. Pakistan followed at 95 percent.
Among respondents in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, 85 percent reported unfavourable views, compared with four percent who viewed Israel favourably. Pew said it was unable to conduct surveys in Gaza.
European countries also reported largely negative attitudes, with around half or more of respondents in countries including Italy, Spain and the Netherlands saying they held very unfavourable views of Israel.
Democrats increasingly critical
The survey revealed particularly sharp political divisions in the United States.
Among respondents on the political left, 83 percent expressed unfavourable views of Israel, compared with 37 percent on the right, making the US one of the most politically divided countries surveyed on the issue.
The same divide was evident in attitudes towards Netanyahu. Eighty-two percent of respondents on the left said they had little or no confidence in the Israeli leader, compared with 64 percent in the political centre and 40 percent on the right.
The findings come as divisions over Israel continue to emerge within the Democratic Party, where progressive lawmakers have become increasingly vocal in criticising US support for Israel and the humanitarian consequences of the war in Gaza.
Those tensions were on display last week during debate over Section 224 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a provision that would deepen military cooperation between the United States and Israel to an unprecedented level.
Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna unsuccessfully sought to remove the measure, arguing that it would further entrench US-Israel military ties despite growing public opposition.
“Everyone in America, whether you’re a Republican, an independent or a Democrat , says that we need to tell Netanyahu that America calls the shots, not the prime minister of any other country,” Khanna told the House Armed Services Committee.
“They want less cooperation and blank checks to Israel, not more.”
However, the amendment failed, with both Republican and Democratic lawmakers opposing its removal.
Competing trends in Congress
While Section 224 advanced, support has also grown for legislation seeking to restrict military assistance to Israel.
The Block the Bombs Act, introduced by Democratic Congresswoman Delia Ramirez, has expanded from 21 Congressional co-sponsors in 2025 to 73 today. The legislation would prohibit transfers of certain heavy bombs and artillery ammunition used by Israel in Gaza.
“While some thought that the bill was extreme, it has, in fact, become pretty mainstream,” Ramirez said last week.
Josh Ruebner, Policy Director at the Institute for Middle East Understanding (IMEU), said the growing support for measures restricting military assistance to Israel reflected broader shifts in public opinion.
“It’s not surprising that Members of Congress are only belatedly catching up to changes in public opinion on ending weapons to Israel,” Ruebner told The New Arab.
“It’s often the case that Congress responds to, rather than leads, public opinion.”
Ruebner said recent developments in Congress would have been difficult to imagine only a few years ago.
“It was once considered the third-rail of US domestic politics to question weapons to Israel. Now 74 Members of Congress are supporting a bill to block the bombs to Israel,” he said.
Ruebner also pointed to a series of recent congressional votes that he said reflected growing willingness among Democrats to challenge traditional US support for Israel.
“Ninety-two Members of Congress voted yesterday to end US support for Israel’s attacks on Lebanon. And in April, 85 percent of Democratic Senators voted to block deliveries of bombs and bulldozers to Israel,” he said.
Ruebner added that more than 200 Democratic candidates standing in next year’s midterm elections had pledged to block weapons transfers to Israel if elected.
“It’s clear that this effort is only going to gather strength in Congress,” he said.
