Americans Sour on Israel and Netanyahu as War in Iran Drags On

American public opinion on Israel has cratered over the past four years, according to new polling that should alarm anyone banking on endless bipartisan support for Netanyahu's government.

A Pew Research Center survey conducted in late March found that 60% of U.S. adults now hold an unfavorable view of Israel -- a 7-point jump from last year and nearly a 20-point surge since 2022. The share holding a "very unfavorable" view has tripled in that time, from 10% to 28%.

Confidence in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has collapsed even faster. Nearly six in ten Americans (59%) now have little or no confidence in Netanyahu to do the right thing on world affairs, up from 52% last year. Among those, more than a third say they have "no confidence at all" in the Israeli leader.

The survey was fielded about a month into the U.S.- and Israeli-led war in Iran, suggesting the ongoing military campaign is accelerating an already steep decline in American support.

Democrats Lead the Shift, But Republicans Are Moving Too

The erosion is sharpest among Democrats, where 80% now view Israel unfavorably -- up from 69% last year and 53% in 2022. Nearly half of younger Democrats (47%) say they have a "very unfavorable" view of Israel, compared to 39% of Democrats over 50.

But the real story is what's happening on the right. While a majority of Republicans still view Israel favorably (58%), that number masks a generational split. Among Republicans under 50, 57% now hold an unfavorable view of Israel -- up from 50% last year. Older Republicans remain broadly supportive, but the GOP's future base is clearly moving in the opposite direction.

On Netanyahu specifically, Republicans are now evenly split: 45% have confidence in him, 44% do not. That's a dramatic shift from past Pew surveys, which consistently showed Republican majorities backing the Israeli prime minister.

The age divide is stark. Republicans 50 and older are twice as likely as younger Republicans to express confidence in Netanyahu (58% vs. 30%). That generational gap suggests the political consensus around Israel is eroding from the bottom up.

Religious Groups Fracture Along Predictable Lines

White evangelical Protestants and Jewish Americans remain the only major religious groups where majorities view Israel favorably -- 65% and 64%, respectively. But even among Jewish Americans, 56% now lack confidence in Netanyahu's handling of world affairs.

Among Catholics, White nonevangelical Protestants, and Black Protestants, favorable views of Israel range from 33% to 39%. The religiously unaffiliated -- a growing share of the U.S. population -- are even more skeptical, with just 22% viewing Israel positively.

Muslim Americans are nearly unanimous in their opposition: only 4% view Israel favorably, and 91% lack confidence in Netanyahu, including 74% who say they have "no confidence at all."

Trump Gets Slightly Better Marks, But That's Not Saying Much

More than half of Americans (55%) lack confidence in President Donald Trump to make good decisions about the U.S.-Israel relationship. That number has held steady since August 2025, when Pew last asked the question.

Republicans are predictably more supportive, with 73% expressing confidence in Trump's handling of the relationship. Among Democrats, only 16% say the same.

Interestingly, Americans are slightly more confident in Trump's approach to Israel than they are in his handling of other foreign policy issues, including U.S. policy toward Iran, where only 35% express confidence. That's a low bar to clear, but it suggests the administration sees the Israel relationship as one of its stronger foreign policy cards -- even as public support for Israel itself continues to slide.

What This Means for U.S. Policy

For decades, support for Israel has been treated as a political given in Washington, with both parties competing to prove their pro-Israel credentials. This polling suggests that consensus is breaking down, especially among younger voters who will shape the electorate for the next generation.

The shift is bipartisan, but it's happening faster and more dramatically on the left. Democratic politicians who continue to offer unconditional support for Israeli military operations are increasingly out of step with their own base. And while older Republicans still back Israel strongly, the party's younger voters are far more skeptical -- a warning sign for anyone assuming the GOP will remain lockstep behind Netanyahu indefinitely.

The war in Iran appears to be accelerating these trends, not reversing them. As gas prices spike and the conflict drags on, Americans are growing more critical of both Israel's leadership and the U.S. role in supporting it. Whether that translates into actual policy change remains to be seen, but the political ground is shifting faster than many in Washington seem to realize.