Negative opinions of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu keep growing among Americans, especially among younger adults across political parties, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
A nationally representative survey of 3,507 U.S. adults conducted between March 23 and March 29, 2026, revealed that 60% of Americans now hold a very or somewhat unfavorable view of Israel.
That figure has increased from 53% a year ago, representing a near-20-percentage-point rise since 2022.
The percentage of Americans with a very unfavorable view has increased to 28%, nearly three times the amount reported four years ago.
Americans Lose Trust in Netanyahu
According to the report, public confidence in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has also deteriorated sharply.
Fifty-nine percent of Americans say they have little or no confidence in Netanyahu to “do the right thing regarding world affairs,” up from 52% in 2025 and almost 20 points higher than in 2023.
More than half of Democrats now say they have no confidence in him at all.
The generational divide stands out as one of the most significant findings in the survey.
For the first time, the majority of adults under 50 in both the Democratic and Republican parties hold unfavorable views of Israel.
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Among Republicans aged 18 to 49, 57% view Israel negatively, up from 50% last year.
Republicans aged 50 and older remain largely supportive, highlighting a widening age gap within the party.
Among Democrats and independents who lean Democratic, unfavorable opinions are now firmly rooted.
Eight in ten Democrats hold a negative view of Israel, compared to 69% in 2025 and 53% in 2022.
Younger Democrats are somewhat more likely than older Democrats to say their views are very unfavorable rather than somewhat unfavorable.
A Widening Gap
While Republicans overall continue to be more supportive of Israel than Democrats, internal divisions have increased.
Fifty-eight percent of Republicans say they have a favorable view of Israel, compared to 41% who have unfavorable views.
That balance, however, is mostly influenced by older Republicans; younger Republicans are now more likely than not to view Israel negatively.
Attitudes toward Netanyahu show a similar pattern.
Seventy-six percent of Democrats say they have little or no confidence in him, including about half who say they have no confidence at all.
Republicans are evenly divided, with 45% expressing some or a lot of confidence and 44% saying they lack confidence.
Republicans aged 50 and older are nearly twice as likely as younger Republicans to say they trust Netanyahu on world affairs.
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Jewish Americans and white evangelical Protestants are the most supportive groups, with about two-thirds holding favorable views of Israel.
Support is much lower among white non-evangelical Protestants, Catholics, Black Protestants, and religiously unaffiliated Americans.
Among Muslim Americans, only 4% view Israel favorably, and 91% lack confidence in Netanyahu, including 74% with no confidence at all.
The survey also looked at opinions on how U.S. President Donald Trump managed relations with Israel.
Fifty-five percent of Americans say they lack confidence in Trump to make good decisions about the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Confidence is highly partisan, with 73% of Republicans trusting Trump on the issue, compared to only 16% of Democrats.
Younger Republicans are much less confident than older Republicans, reflecting generational differences observed elsewhere in the survey.
Despite the shift in opinion, the Israel-Hamas conflict remains personally important to a slim majority of Americans.
Fifty-three percent say the conflict is either very or somewhat important to them, a level mostly unchanged from last year.
However, Americans are much more likely to consider U.S. military action against Iran personally important, with 77% expressing concern.
