A new national survey suggested that the United States citizens’ attitudes towards Israel have worsened significantly in recent years, largely driven by increasingly negative opinions among Democrats and independent voters, Fox News reported.
The poll, conducted by NBC News, comes at a time when support for Israel has become a contentious issue within the Democrats, more than two years after the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war in Gaza.
According to the survey conducted between February 27 and March 2, only 32% of Americans currently hold a positive view of Israel, while 39% express a negative opinion. The results mark a notable shift compared with three years ago, when public sentiment was more positive, with 47% viewing Israel favourably and 34% negatively.
Much of the decline in positive sentiment appears to stem from changes in opinion among Democrats and independent voters, according to the survey.
In 2023, Democratic views on Israel were fairly evenly split, with 34% expressing positive opinions and 35% negative ones. The latest poll, however, showed a sharp shift, with only 13% of Democrats now viewing Israel positively and 57% expressing negative views.
Among independents, favourable opinions have also dropped substantially, moving from a 40% positive to 22% negative balance previously, to 21% positive and 48% negative in the latest findings.
Republican attitudes towards Israel, by contrast, have seen only a modest change. Positive views among Republicans declined from 63% in 2023 to 54% now, while negative opinions rose slightly from 12% to 18%, according to the survey.
The poll was conducted during a period when the US and Israel had begun military strikes against Iran. It also found that Americans are now nearly evenly divided on whether they feel greater sympathy for Israelis or Palestinians.
In 2013, Americans expressed stronger sympathy for Israel by a margin of 45% to 13%. Today, the gap has effectively disappeared, with 40% saying they sympathise more with Israel and 39% indicating greater sympathy for Palestinians.
The shift has been particularly pronounced among Democrats. In 2013, they leaned towards Israel by a margin of 34% to 18%. The latest poll showed a dramatic reversal, with 67% now saying they sympathise more with Palestinians and only 17% with Israel.
Independents have also moved in a similar direction. Thirteen years ago, they were more sympathetic to Israel by a 37% to 10% margin. Now, they lean towards Palestinians by 37% to 27%.
Republicans, however, continue to show strong support for Israel. In 2013 they favoured Israel by a 67% to 8% margin, which has remained largely consistent today at 69% to 13%.
The findings also highlighted a clear generational divide, with younger Americans showing a greater decline in favourable views and sympathy towards Israel compared with older age groups.
While most Republicans remain broadly supportive of Israel, the ongoing war in Gaza has intensified disagreements among Democrats, with the issue emerging as a significant point of debate in the party’s 2026 primary contests.
Israel’s military in Gaza over the past two and a half years has resulted in more than 72,000 deaths, according to health authorities in the Palestinian territory.
