Israelis approval collapse in U.S.: Large numbers of Americans no longer support Israel — and it is not antisemitism

The dark reason for the collapse: Their corrupt leader

The United States has always been a tremendous supporter of Israel. President Harry S. Truman made us the first country to recognize the state of Israel on May 14, 1948, just 11 minutes after the country declared its independence.

That has been the case for decades, as we have spent trillions of dollars in support of our country as we have always hoped for peace in the Middle East.

Now, that support has evaporated, and some of the polls that were taken before the Iran war show the tremendous antipathy that many people feel toward the country.

There is one word that can be the reason for this: Netanyahu.

The problem with Israel now among Americans is not the country itself. In fact, most people still support the citizens of Israel. They do, however, despise the leadership.

Hurting American Jews

This negative perceptions of Netanyahu have now affected the Jewish people throughout the world, but particularly in the U.S.,

The relationship between the United States and Israel is in crisis. Six in 10 Americans have a negative view of Israel, and a majority of those under 50 in both major parties view Israel as well as its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, negatively. After the brutal Gaza war, a large percentage of liberal-leaning Generation Z considers Israel a pariah state.

Democratic candidates are scrambling to distance themselves from Israel and its controversial leader; earlier this month, 40 of the 47 Democratic senators voted against a military aid package for the country. And hostility toward Israel is spilling over into hostility toward Jews.

Liberal influencers, activists, podcasters, and even politicians are invoking age-old anti-Semitic tropes with frightening regularity.

Michael A. Cohen, “How Netanyahu hurt American Jews,” The Atlantic, April 26, 2026

This has led to some historic lows in the U.S.,

As of early 2026, public support for Israel in the United States has fallen to historic lows, driven by the ongoing conflict in Gaza. A February 2026 Gallup poll found that 41% of Americans sympathize more with Palestinians, while 36% favor Israelis, marking a significant, unprecedented shift.

This decline is sharpest among Democrats and young voters, though support is also dipping among Republicans. 

“US Citizens’ support for Israel at historic lows over Gaza

genocide,” Al Jazeera, February 27, 2026

The major reason?

The fighting and genocide at the hands of Israelis in Gaza has been a major factor in that move. However, the demographics show that this is likely to last,

• National Sentiment: A 60 percent majority of US adults now view Israel unfavorably, with only 37% reporting a favorable view, according to data from Pew Research Center.

• Generational/Gender Shift: According to this Facebook post from The Daily Caller, data indicates net favorability among U.S. men under 50 dropped to -47, with 57% of younger adults across parties expressing negative views of Israel.

• Partisan Divergence: While Republicans remain generally more supportive, a CAIR press release highlights a "massive shift" among Republicans under 50, with support falling by over 40 percentage points, according to CNN. Additionally, NBC News reports that Israel's standing among Democrats has plummeted, with positive ratings falling significantly.

• Independent Voters: Support among independents has also sharply declined, with only 21% viewing Israel positively, according to a survey by Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies.

AI via NBC News, 2026

This seems to indicate that younger voters are the ones driving this, along with Democrats generally. However, the depth of this, which is likely to grow after polls about the Iran War are released, is surprising.

Democrats now split after strong support

This has led the Democrats to fracture over their support of Israel, and Netanyahu is the focus of their discontent,

Diaspora Jews have, for much of the past century, found a home within both the Democratic Party and also progressive social, cultural, and institutional spaces. But since October 7, 2023, that sense of belonging has been shattered. American Jews are under attack from liberal and progressive activists who are stridently anti-Zionist, anti-Israel, and in some cases anti-Semitic.

In pursuing Israel’s interests at the expense of American Jews, Netanyahu has put the world’s largest community of diaspora Jews in a terrible bind, caught between support for Israel and its liberal allies.

This growing distance could create a problem for Israel if a Democrat wins the White House in 2028, but it creates a far more immediate problem for American Jews.

Cohen, The Atlantic

U.S. has supported it financially

Many in the U.S. want to see foreign aid to other countries cut dramatically, but Israel has managed to avoid this. However, that may end soon, and the numbers are staggering,

Israel is the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign aid: up to February 2022, the U.S. had provided Israel US$150 billion (non-inflation-adjusted) in assistance.^[1] The United States' first free trade agreement was with Israel …

In 1999, the U.S. government signed a commitment to provide Israel with at least US $2.7 billion in military aid annually for ten years; in 2009 it was raised to $3 billion; and in 2019 raised to a minimum of US$3.8 billion.

Since 1972, the U.S. has also extended loan guarantees to Israel to assist with housing shortages, absorption of new Jewish immigrants and economic recovery.

^{Congressional Research Service via Wikipedia}

Perhaps that is now in jeopardy since Israel convinced the US president to attack Iran for him, costing billions of dollars in a non-declared war. The damage to that relationship is very, very serious.

In addition, Netanyahu is now on trial for corruption, just as the president of the US was convicted of a felony for corruption.

A sad world for everyone.