A pair of comprehensive new surveys from the Pew Research Center and the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reveal a significant shift in how Americans perceive Israel, its leadership, and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. As the war approaches its 1,000th day, U.S. public approval of the Israeli government has plummeted by nearly 20 percentage points since 2022, exposing deep partisan, generational, and religious fractures. While support for the Israeli people has also declined, views of the Palestinian people have remained largely unchanged, pointing to a growing distinction in the American public’s mind between foreign populations and the political leadership directing military actions.
WASHINGTON — A dramatic erosion of domestic support for Israel is reshaping the American political landscape as two newly released national polls show U.S. public opinion turning increasingly critical of the Israeli government and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The latest survey from the Pew Research Center, conducted in early May 2026 and released on July 9, 2026, reveals that 62% of U.S. adults now hold an unfavorable view of the Israeli government. This represents a nearly 20-point negative shift from 2022, when only 43% of Americans expressed unfavorable views. Simultaneously, an Associated Press-NORC (AP-NORC) poll published on July 7, 2026, indicates that approximately one-third of all American adults—including roughly half of Democrats—now believe Israel’s military campaign in Gaza constitutes genocide.
The shifting numbers follow nearly three years of intense military conflict sparked by the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people in Israel and the capture of 251 hostages. In response, Israel’s retaliatory offensive has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, provoking sustained domestic protests and intense theological debates across American religious institutions.
Partisan and Religious Fractures on Display
The Pew Research Center data highlights stark divisions within American religious communities, challenging historical assumptions about uniform support for Israel. While Jewish adults remains the group most likely to view the Israeli people positively at 83%, followed closely by white evangelical Protestants at 74%, they diverge sharply on Israel’s current political leadership.
Only 47% of American Jewish adults view the Israeli government favorably. In contrast, white evangelical Protestants remain the only major religious demographic where a majority (57%) holds a favorable view of Israel’s current government.
Support falls precipitously among other religious groups:
- Catholics: Only 34% hold a positive view of the Israeli government.
- White non-evangelical Protestants: 33% express favorability.
- Black Protestants: 30% view the government favorably.
- Religiously unaffiliated Americans: 17% express positive views.
- Muslim Americans: 12% hold a favorable view.
The visual representation of these divides was apparent earlier this month in Washington, D.C., where approximately 200 faith-led, pro-Palestinian demonstrators staged protests near the Museum of the Bible. The demonstrations specifically targeted the annual summit of Christians United for Israel, highlighting how the geopolitical conflict has introduced deep wedges directly into American religious alliances.
Divergent Views on Hamas and the Palestinian Authority
While overall sentiment toward the Israeli government has deteriorated, views regarding the Palestinian people have held steady. Pew reported that approximately 50% of U.S. adults hold a favorable view of the Palestinian people, nearly identical to the 52% favorability rating currently held by the Israeli people—which represents a 15-point drop for Israelis since 2022.
However, favorability toward Palestinian leadership entities remains highly polarized along religious lines. Only Muslim Americans (78%) and religiously unaffiliated Americans (59%) expressed majority favorable views of the Palestinian people.
Furthermore, 50% of Muslim Americans voiced a positive view of the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank. Views on Hamas, which has historically controlled the Gaza Strip, remain overwhelmingly negative across almost all surveyed groups. While 44% of Muslim Americans viewed Hamas favorably—marking a notable seven-point increase from 2024—no other religious demographic expressed majority support. Among Jewish Americans, support for Hamas stood at a mere 2%, while white evangelical Protestants recorded only 4% favorability.
Accusations of Genocide and Regional Accountability
The AP-NORC poll took the inquiry a step further, testing public perception on the specific accusation of “genocide”—a term heavily contested by legal scholars, international organizations, and the U.S. government. The poll found that 31% of all U.S. adults believe Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Among Democrats, that number rises to 52%, representing a significant majority. Conversely, only 13% of Republicans agree with the characterization, while about half of all Americans overall state they do not know enough to decide.
Reflecting this trend, several major religious and academic organizations have formally adjusted their positions. Within the last two weeks, both the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the American Academy of Religion passed resolutions explicitly describing Israel’s actions in Gaza as a genocide.
This shift in sentiment is increasingly translating into policy preferences. The AP-NORC poll found that 58% of Democrats now believe the United States is “too supportive” of Israel, up from 45% in early 2024. This sentiment has even spread to 51% of self-identified Jewish Democrats.
In interviews, some older Americans noted that their perspectives have shifted dramatically over the course of the three-year conflict. Joy Jennik, a 73-year-old retired home economics teacher from Brookfield, Wisconsin, spoke soberly about her evolving stance:
“The Gaza Strip, there’s not a lot left of it. Those poor people are barely living,” Jennik said, noting that she had no strong opinions on U.S.-Israel relations prior to the October 7 attacks but now believes Israel’s actions constitute a genocide.
Internal Jewish Debates and the Unpopularity of Netanyahu
The polling highlights that American Jewish communities are far from a monolith, displaying significant internal debate and generational divides. According to the AP-NORC data, 30% of Jewish adults believe Israel has committed genocide, compared to 49% who say it has not.
Furthermore, 55% of Jewish adults reported feeling personally offended by comments made about Israel since the October 7 attacks, and 30% reported that they have stopped speaking to someone entirely due to disagreements over the war.
Perhaps the most consistent area of alignment across demographics is the broad unpopularity of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Nationally, only 20% of U.S. adults view the prime minister favorably, while 38% view him unfavorably. Notably, American Jewish adults are especially critical of Netanyahu: approximately 6 in 10 view him very or somewhat unfavorably.
This unfavorable rating among Jewish Americans is higher than that of Democrats as a whole (54%) and independents (33%). Netanyahu maintains positive net favorability only among Republicans, with 38% viewing him favorably compared to 23% who view him unfavorably.
As the war continues with no clear diplomatic resolution, these shifting numbers suggest that the historically solid, bipartisan foundation of U.S. support for Israel is facing its most profound domestic challenge in decades.
