Americans' favorable opinion of the Israeli people has continued its decline, according to a survey released Thursday by the Pew Research Center. The survey, conducted from May 4 to May 17, 2026, found that 52% of US adults now hold a favorable view, a significant drop from 67% in 2022. This marks a notable shift in public sentiment regarding the settler-colonial entity.
Only 42% of those surveyed held an unfavorable opinion of the Israeli people, a rise from 25% in 2022. Meanwhile, views toward Palestinians have remained largely steady, with 50% holding a favorable opinion and 44% holding unfavorable views. In 2022, 53% held a favorable view of Palestinians, while 39% held an unfavorable view.
Shifting Perceptions of the Settler State
The survey highlighted a stark contrast in perceptions of the Israeli government, the political apparatus of the settler-colonial project. A significant majority of Americans, 62%, held unfavorable views of the Israeli government. This indicates a growing recognition of the policies enacted by the state.
In comparison, 69% of respondents expressed an unfavorable opinion of the Palestinian Authority, which governs in the West Bank. An even larger majority, 84%, held an unfavorable view of Hamas. The survey was completed prior to Hamas’ announcement Monday, four days ago, that it would dissolve its government in Gaza. This dissolution is set to precede its transfer to a Palestinian technocratic committee, a body established by US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace.
Generational and Political Divides
Divisions in opinion were pronounced along political lines. Among Republicans, 65% held a favorable view of Israelis, while only 43% of Democrats shared this sentiment. Conversely, roughly two-thirds of Democrats held a favorable view of Palestinians, compared to just one-third of Republicans.
Over half of Democrats now hold an unfavorable view of Israelis, a substantial increase from 31% in 2022. Among Republicans, the share holding a negative view towards Israelis also rose, from 17% in 2022 to 31% in the same year the survey was fielded. These figures underscore a deepening partisan split on the issue.
Younger US adults, those under 30-years-old, displayed a distinct perspective. They were more likely to hold a favorable view of Palestinians, at 58%, than of Israelis, at 32%. Pollsters attributed this attitude primarily to young Democrats, with 72% holding a positive view toward Palestinians and only 26% holding a positive view of Israelis. This generational divide suggests a potential future trajectory for US public opinion.
Even among Jewish respondents in the US, attitudes toward the Israeli people and government have declined in recent years. Favorable views of the Israeli people fell from 89% in 2024 to 83% in the same year the survey was fielded. Favorable opinions toward the Israeli government also dropped, from 54% to 47% in the same period. Additionally, 40% of Jewish adults in the US viewed the Palestinian people favorably, while 58% viewed them unfavorably. Only 10% of Jewish adults held a favorable view toward the Palestinian Authority, and a mere 2% held a favorable view of Hamas.