Negative views of Israel, Netanyahu rising among Americans: survey

Negative views of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are rising, according to a new survey released Tuesday.

The survey by Pew Research Center, conducted from March 23-29 among 3,507 US adults, found that 60% now hold an unfavorable view of Israel, up from 53% last year and nearly 20 percentage points higher than in 2022.

Meanwhile, 59% said they have little or no confidence in Netanyahu "to do the right thing regarding world affairs," marking a seven-point increase from last year.

Negative perceptions were especially pronounced among Americans under 50 across both political parties. Eight-in-ten Democrats reported unfavorable views of Israel, while among Republicans aged 18-49, 57% now view Israel negatively, up from 50% last year.

Confidence in Netanyahu also declined across political and religious groups.

Among Democrats, 76% expressed little or no confidence, while Republicans were divided, with 45% expressing confidence and 44% lacking it. Among Muslim Americans, 91% reported little or no confidence in Netanyahu, including 74% with no confidence at all.

The survey also found that 55% of Americans lack confidence in US President Donald Trump to make good decisions about US-Israel relations, though Republicans remained largely supportive, with 73% expressing confidence compared to 16% of Democrats.

More than half of Americans, 53%, said the Israel-Hamas conflict is personally important to them, while 77% said the same about US military action against Iran, according to the report.