Support for Israel’s military action in Gaza has declined substantially among U.S. adults, with only about one-third approving, according to a new Gallup poll — a drop from the beginning of the war with Hamas, when about half of Americans approved of Israel’s operation.
The new polling also found that about half of U.S. adults now have an unfavorable view of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the most negative rating he has received since he was first included in Gallup polling in 1997. The poll was conducted from July 7-21, while reports of starvation in Gaza led to international criticism of Israel’s decision to restrict food aid but before President Donald Trump expressed concern over the worsening humanitarian situation.
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Some 60% of Americans oppose the war in Gaza
( Photos: Alex Brandon/AP, Oliver Contreras/ AFP, Kena Betancur / AFP)
The poll published Tuesday also comes as negotiations for a hostage deal and a ceasefire in Gaza have reached a deadlock. and while U.S. President Donald Trump implicitly joins Israeli threats to escalate military action against Hamas. Meanwhile, the trend of Israel’s collapsing global image and diplomatic momentum against it. has already led to France’s recognition of a Palestinian state and a threat issued by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that the UK will also recognize Palestine if a ceasefire is not achieved by September.
The poll reveals a sharp drop in American public support for Israel’s war in Gaza. Since November 2023, Gallup has tracked American attitudes toward the war—then, 50% supported Israel’s military campaign against Hamas, the only survey to show a majority in favor. Since then, support has declined steadily. In the current poll, 60% of respondents oppose the war, while only 32% support it. Compared to the prior survey in September last year, support among Americans has fallen by 10 percentage points, and opposition has risen by 12 points.
The poll period coincided with wide circulation of distressing images of starving children in Gaza—images that fueled growing international pressure on Israel. Even President Trump publicly contradicted Netanyahu Monday and declared that the images of hunger could not be “staged.” Netanyahu was forced to reverse course months after ordering a halt to all aid to Gaza. Now, the IDF is airdropping aid itself, despite Netanyahu’s prior claims of a false “starvation campaign” driven by Hamas.
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Pro-Palesitnian demonstrators at a rall at Columbia University in New York
(Photo: David Dee Delgado / Getty Images North America / AFP)
Gallup’s survey shows support remains broadly stable among Republicans, and the decline is mostly driven by erosion in support among Democrats and Independents. Republican support actually rose from 66% in September to 71%, but among Democrats it plunged from 24% to 8%, and among Independents it dropped sharply from 41% to 25%—a historic low for both groups.
AP News, reporting on the poll, noted that, for Democrats at least, part of the drop may be due to the change from a Democratic Biden administration to a Republican one—though many Democrats were critical of Biden’s support for Israel even when he was in office. The poll also highlights a continued loss of support among younger Americans: only 1 in 10 respondents under the age of 35 support Israel’s military actions in Gaza, compared with about 50% support among those aged 55 and older.
Netanyahu at a 28-year low in US popularity
The poll also indicates a decades-long low in Netanyahu’s popularity in the United States: 52% of respondents—surveyed amid Netanyahu’s U.S. visit—expressed a negative view of him, a level not seen since he first took office in 1997. Only 29% view him positively, and 2 in 10 said they had no opinion or had never heard of him.
While the decline in Netanyahu’s rating is not a dramatic shift compared to the last Gallup poll, it nonetheless reflects a continued downward trend. In December 2023, 47% of Americans had a negative view of him and 33% had a positive one. The last time a majority viewed him favorably was April 2019 (40% positive vs. 27% negative).
There is also a stark partisan divide: two-thirds of Republicans view Netanyahu positively, while only 1 in 10 Democrats and 20% of Independents see him favorably. “This is the first time we’ve seen a majority of Americans with a negative view of him,” said Megan Brenan, a senior pollster at Gallup. “All the questions in the poll tell the same story—and it’s not good for the Israeli government right now.”
Brenan emphasized that Republicans still largely support Israel, but signs of erosion are emerging in the conservative camp—especially from the MAGA movement (supporters of Trump). Prominent figures in that movement, such as former advisor Steve Bannon, opposed U.S. involvement in war with Iran and worked to block attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities. Others, like Tucker Carlson, spread conspiracy theories about Israel, including those related to the Epstein scandal.
'Loyalty to a foreign nation': MAGA voices against Israel
The Gaza images are influencing even prominent Republicans, including far-right Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene—a close Trump ally—who joined global criticism of Israel’s handling of the humanitarian crisis.
She tweeted: “What happened to innocent people in Israel on Oct 7 was horrific. And what is happening to innocent people and children in Gaza is horrific. This war and humanitarian crisis must end!”
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Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has joined global criticism of Israel’s handling of the Gaza humanitarian crisis
(Photo: Alyssa Pointer/File Photo/Reuters)
Greene also opposes extensive military aid to Israel. About a week and a half ago, she sponsored a proposal in the House to cut $500 million in military aid for Israel’s air defense systems. She voted alongside progressive and anti-Israel members like Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ilhan Omar, but the motion failed by a landslide: 422 opposed, 6 voted in favor. Greene explained her opposition by noting that Israel already receives over $3 billion annually in U.S. aid, has universal health insurance for its citizens, and subsidizes higher education—while Americans face severe economic challenges.
In an interview on Tucker Carlson’s show, Greene criticized many lawmakers in Washington for pledging loyalty to Israel, saying that for struggling young Americans loyalty feels impossible to afford. While Greene—previously accused of antisemitic conspiracy theories—remains an outlier in the Republican landscape, the Gaza crisis and allegations of discrimination against Israel’s Christian minority are fueling conservative criticism.
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Megan Kelly, former Fox News journalist and a major influencer in the conservative sphere, appeared on Piers Morgan’s show to warn of the ongoing trend of disillusionment. Kelly said she does not trust the hunger images coming from Gaza—arguing that Hamas has an interest in circulating them—but added: “Whether Israel understands this or not, it has become the world’s villain by letting this go on for so long. It has lost the support of its closest friends. Even the entire Democratic Party has turned against it, and it’s losing Republicans every day—their most important allies.”
Kelly warned bluntly: “You are losing Republicans daily.”
Senate Democrats’ Letter on U.S. Aid and humanitarian concerns
Meanwhile, pressure continues from House Democrats for the Trump administration to reassess its stance on the war. AP revealed that 40 Senate Democrats sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, demanding a significant increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The letter strongly criticized the U.S.-backed Global Humanitarian Facility (GHF). Critics argue that its model—secure aid zones guarded by IDF instead of hundreds of UN distribution sites—has contributed to the hunger crisis in Gaza. Senator Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, called it “utterly unbelievable” to claim that Israel is incapable of distributing aid or supervising the crowds at aid centers. He said Americans see images of chaos and suffering that could have been prevented—and that this reflects poorly on the U.S. president.
The letter also urged renewed efforts for a hostage deal and a ceasefire in Gaza, emphasizing the urgent need to secure the release of the 50 remaining hostages.