Israel in danger: 53% of Americans have "unfavorable" view of the country

A new poll released by Pew yesterday (Wednesday) shows that a majority of Americans - 53% now have at least a somewhat unfavorable opinion of Israel, up from 42% in 2022. The main increases in dislike of Israel come from among Democrats, Americans aged 18-49, and the religiously unaffiliated.

Meanwhile, just 54% of Americans say that the Israel-Hamas war is important to them personally, down from 65% as polled in January 2024, a few months after October 7 and the start of the war in Gaza.

Among Democrats, the biggest shift in unfavorable views of Israel came from Democrats aged 50 and older - from just 43% in 2022 to 66% in 2025. Younger Democrats aged 18-49 increased their already unfavorable views of Israel from 62 to 71%.

The age gap also appears among Republicans, with Republicans aged 18-49 going from 35% disapproving of Israel to fully half the age group. Even Republicans aged 50+ saw a slight increase in unfavorability - from 19 to 23%.

The group most likely to have an unfavorable view of Israel, aside from Muslims, is the religiously unaffiliated, with just 28% of them having a favorable opinion and 69% having an unfavorable view. Meanwhile, 53% of Catholics have an unfavorable view of Israel, compared to 45% who say they have a favorable view.

White Evangelical Protestants and Protestants generally have a favorable view of Israel, as do Jews, while Protestants more broadly are evenly divided.

This poll tracks with the Gallup poll showing a sharp decline in support for Israel ever since October 7. Gallup showed a decline among Democrats and Independents, Pew shows a decline across the board.