For decades, the United States provided Israel with steady bipartisan support. But since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, the picture has become far less clear-cut. A new AP-NORC poll published Tuesday shows troubling results and a dramatic erosion in support from Israel’s longtime ally.
The poll found that about one-third of U.S. adults, including about half of Democrats, believe Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, an accusation raised by several human rights organizations and strongly denied by Israel and the U.S. government. Two in 10 Americans say Israel has not done so, while the rest, about half, say they do not know enough to say. A similar share, 30% of Jewish adults, say Israel has committed genocide, though about 49% say it has not.
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Since the war in Gaza, American support for Israel has eroded
(Photo: Jack Guez/AFP, Reuters/Evelyn Hockstein, Haim Zach/GPO)
After the October 7 massacre carried out by Hamas, and after nearly three years in which more than 73,000 people have been killed in Gaza, according to figures from the Hamas-run Health Ministry in the enclave, American sympathy has shifted toward the Palestinians. The poll found that many Americans, about 4 in 10, do not know enough to say whether Israel’s immediate military response to the Hamas attack or its ongoing military operations were justified.
Among those who did hold an opinion, most said the initial response was justified, but a majority also said the current operations are not justified. About three-quarters of Jewish adults said Israel’s initial response was justified, but only about 4 in 10 said the same about its ongoing actions.
Harold Kalmus, a 69-year-old Democrat from Arden, Delaware, who describes himself as Jewish by birth, said he remembers feeling pride in Israel when he was younger, but no longer. “I realize that there is a threat from Hamas. And I realize they’re in a very difficult situation, but what they have done is just an unspeakable horror. They’re trying to wipe out a civilization as far as I’m concerned.”
Among Democrats: US is ‘too supportive’ of Israel
The poll also examined support for Israel by party affiliation and found a decisive shift within the Democratic Party. About 58% of Democrats now say the U.S. is “too supportive” of Israel, up from 45% in an AP-NORC poll in January 2024, when former President Joe Biden was in office. That includes 51% of Jewish Democrats in the new poll.
About 62% of Democrats say the U.S. is “not supportive enough” of the Palestinians, up from 49% in 2024. Younger Democrats, age 45 and under, are still more likely than older Democrats to say the U.S. is “not supportive enough” of the Palestinians, but older Democrats are closing the gap. About 57% of older Democrats now say the U.S. should do more for the Palestinians, up from 39% two years ago.
Joy Jennik, a 73-year-old Democrat from Brookfield, Wisconsin, said she did not have strong views about the U.S. relationship with Israel until after the October 7 Hamas attack. Now, she believes Israel is guilty of genocide. “The Gaza Strip, there’s not a lot left of it. Those poor people are barely living.”
Biden and Netanyahu
(Photo: Susan Walsh, AP)
Republicans: Support for Israel remains, but less so among the young
Among Republicans, only a small share, 13%, describe Israel’s actions as “genocide,” though there is a notable age gap. About 20% of Republicans under 45 say Israel has committed genocide, while only 10% of those over 45 believe that. Overall, 60% of Republicans describe U.S. support for Israel as “about right.” Only 20% say the U.S. is “too supportive” of Israel, though Republicans under 45 are more likely to say so.
The overall share of Republicans who say the U.S. is “too supportive” of Israel has not changed significantly since 2024, but the share who say the U.S. is “not supportive enough” has shrunk from 39% to 15%.
Mike Cardona, a 70-year-old Republican from the Phoenix suburbs, said he is satisfied with the level of U.S. support for Israel and rejects the idea that Israel has committed genocide. “I wish they’d gone in harder and better,” he said of Israel’s military operation in Gaza. “Unfortunately, some innocents will be hurt, but Hamas and Hezbollah never took that into consideration when they were killing children and women in Israel.”
Netanyahu or Mamdani?
Several poll respondents stressed that their criticism of Israel focused on its leaders, especially Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is seen as closely aligned with President Donald Trump. Overall, only 20% of U.S. adults have a favorable view of Netanyahu, while nearly twice as many, 38%, have an unfavorable view. About 41% say they do not know enough. Netanyahu is especially unpopular among Jewish adults: about 6 in 10 view him unfavorably, while about one-third view him favorably.
Mamdani; viewed favorably by 44% of US Jews, compared with only one-third for Netanyahu
(Photo: AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Younger adults, regardless of party, are more likely than older adults to say they have no opinion of Netanyahu. But while older Republicans view Netanyahu more favorably than unfavorably, younger Republicans’ views lean negative.
The AP-NORC poll also examined attitudes toward New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, an outspoken critic of Israel. Twenty-seven percent of U.S. adults have a favorable view of the 34-year-old Democrat. Twenty-eight percent have an unfavorable view, while 44% said they did not know enough.
Jewish adults, who overwhelmingly identify as Democrats, have a more favorable view of Mamdani than of Netanyahu. Forty-four percent view the New York mayor favorably, 39% view him unfavorably and 17% do not know enough. Among Democrats overall, about half have a favorable impression of Mamdani, while only about 10% have an unfavorable view.