Key facts
- A new AP-NORC poll indicates a significant decline in U.S. support for Israel.
- Roughly half of Democrats believe Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
- Support for Israel has become increasingly polarized along partisan and generational lines.
- A majority of Americans believe Israel's current military operations in Gaza are not justified.
- Democratic support for Israel has decreased, with more viewing U.S. policy as too supportive of Israelis and not supportive enough of Palestinians.
- Republican support for Israel remains strong, though younger Republicans show slightly less favorability.
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is broadly unpopular among U.S. adults.
A new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research reveals a significant decline in U.S. adults' support for Israel, a shift particularly pronounced among Democrats and younger Americans. The survey, conducted from June 11-17, 2026, among 3,040 U.S. adults, indicates growing partisan and generational divisions regarding Israel's conduct in the ongoing war in Gaza.
Approximately one-third of U.S. adults, including about half of Democrats, believe Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians, an accusation Israel and the U.S. government deny. While most Americans who have an opinion found Israel's initial military response to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, justified, a majority now believe its ongoing operations are not. Views on Israel's importance have also diminished, with only about one-third of U.S. adults considering it a personally important issue.
Within the Democratic Party, support for Israel has notably eroded. Fifty-eight percent of Democrats now feel the U.S. is too supportive of Israel, an increase from 45% in January 2024. Concurrently, 62% of Democrats believe the U.S. is not supportive enough of the Palestinians, up from 49% previously. This shift is also evident among older Democrats, whose views are increasingly aligning with younger Democrats on this issue.
Conversely, a majority of Republicans, 60%, still view U.S. support for Israel as appropriate. While criticism of Israel's actions is low among Republicans overall (13% believe genocide has occurred), younger Republicans show a slightly higher tendency to express concerns compared to older Republicans. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is broadly unpopular, with only 20% of U.S. adults holding a favorable view.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, an outspoken critic of Israel, garners a mixed reception, with 27% of U.S. adults holding a favorable opinion and 28% an unfavorable one.