Since Hamas’s terrorist attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, the world has witnessed Israel’s military actions in Gaza. This conflict has been extensively covered on television and social media, particularly impacting younger audiences. The visuals of Palestinian suffering have led to a decline in support for Israel among young Americans, fueled by youth-led activist movements. Additionally, there is growing evidence that older Democrats have become more critical of Israel, isolating older Republicans as the sole American demographic firmly behind Israel.
Economist/YouGov survey released on August 5, 2025, provides a baseline for understanding public opinion. A plurality of the electorate believes that Israel’s continued attacks on Gaza are unjustified. Only 27% support Prime Minister Netanyahu, and 84% favor an immediate ceasefire. More than seven in 10 Americans believe there is a hunger crisis in Gaza, leading to strong support for more humanitarian aid to Palestinians. The survey also reveals that 45% of voters believe that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians, while only 31% disagree. This view is prevalent among Democrats, liberals, independents, and moderates.
The weakening of American public approval for Israel has been gradual but consistent over the years. Negative views of Israel have risen across the board, though at different rates when broken down by age and party. Among U.S. adults, negative views have increased from 42% to 53%. Among Republicans, they have risen from 27% to 37%; among Democrats, from 53% to 69%. Among young Republicans aged 18-49, the unfavorable view of Israel has shifted from 35% to 50%, while among Republicans aged 50+, it has only marginally increased from 19% to 23%. Among Democrats, the unfavorable view has increased from 62% to 71% in the 18 to 49-year-old demographic and from 43% to 66% among those 50 and older. This trend indicates a broader change in sentiments towards Israel among the political left, challenging the generational narrative.
When assessing Americans’ confidence in Prime Minister Netanyahu, a similar pattern exists. Among Republicans, 50% have a lot of confidence in Netanyahu, while 34% have “not too much” or “no confidence” in him. Among Republicans under age 50, 45% answered “not too much” or “none at all,” and 32% “some or a lot.” In contrast, Republicans 50 and older answered 24% “not too much” or “none at all,” and 70% “some” or “a lot.” For Democrats, the numbers were more similar across age groups. Seventy percent of Democrats reported “none at all” or “not too much” confidence in Netanyahu, with 68% among Democrats under 50 and 73% for those 50 and older.
Sympathy for Israelis has decreased across the board, but Republicans still prefer them over Palestinians, unlike Democrats. The Chicago Council on Global Affairs-Ipsos has tracked a steep decrease in positive feelings towards Israel across the political spectrum. For Republicans, support has dropped from 69% to 63%; for independents, from 56% to 50%; and among Democrats, from 51% to 41%. Overall, U.S. public sympathy for Palestinians versus Israelis has been shifting since the mid-2010s. Now, 46% of Americans’ sympathies lie more with Israel, compared to 33% with the Palestinians. Among Democrats, 59% are more sympathetic to the Palestinians, versus just 21% who support the Israelis. In contrast, Republican sentiments have remained fairly stable, with a slight drop in sympathies for Israelis since the war began.
Among independents, sympathy for Israelis has been declining since 2023, dropping from 49% to 42%. Palestinian sympathies had remained stagnant until they began to increase in the latter half of the 2010s and early 2020s, reaching 34%. On the issue of partisan preference for picking a side in the conflict, 58% of Republicans believe the U.S. should take Israel’s side, while 3% favor Palestine, and 38% support neither. Among Democrats, 10% favor Israel, 20% favor the Palestinians, and 68% believe the U.S. should not take sides. Among independents, 24% favor Israel, 11% favor Palestine, and 64% believe the U.S. should avoid taking a side. Overall, 58% of Americans do not want to take a side, 28% favor Israel, and 12% favor Palestine.
Gallup has tracked public opinion of Israel’s actions in Gaza since the war started, indicating growing disapproval. At the start of military operations, 50% of Americans approved of Israel’s actions, versus 45% who disapproved. Currently, 60% disapprove, versus just 32% who approve. Republican support for Israel’s actions has remained relatively stable, with support today matching where it was at the start of Israeli military operations in Gaza. Among independents, support has dropped from 47% to 25%. Among Democrats, support has plummeted from 36% to just 8%. This indicates that Republicans hold firm with Israel despite younger party members voicing dissatisfaction earlier in the Pew poll. A potential explanation may be the timing of Israel’s strikes on Iran, which was met with overwhelming Republican approval.
Considering U.S. military support for Israel’s war aims, support among independents and Republicans has remained relatively stable, compared to a steep drop among Democrats. On the question of militarily supporting Israel until all hostages are free, 55% of Democrats supported continuing military assistance in 2024, dropping to 43% in 2025. On the question of military support until Hamas is dismantled or destroyed, 41% supported continuing military assistance in 2024, versus just 32% in 2025.
A Harvard Harris survey identified significant generational gaps in opinions towards Hamas. Among young people, 40% support Hamas, versus 60% who support Israel. In contrast, 92% of those aged 65 and older support Israel, with just 8% supporting Hamas. Younger Americans and Democrats are far more open to negotiations with Hamas. Fifty-six percent of younger Americans want Israel to make a deal with Hamas to end the fighting, versus 38% of the oldest demographic. Among Democrats, 52% think Israel should make a deal, versus 38% of Republicans.
Americans appear to distinguish between the Palestinians in general and Hamas in particular. This is the most plausible explanation for the Harvard Harris results, which are much more pro-Israel overall, despite some support for Hamas among younger Americans. The Harvard Harris poll finds 80% support for hostage release, versus 55% for the Chicago Council, which also refers to Hamas. The variation in these results may be due to the wording of polling questions, as including “military aid” in the question can reduce the share of affirmative responses.
The generational divide on opinions towards Israel has become more complex as the war continues. Democrats of all ages have begun to move in tandem on this issue. It is among Republicans that we now see a widening generational divide. Most of the surveys discussed were conducted before the famine in Gaza began to dominate the news. The Economist/YouGov survey provides an early indication of this shift, but a more definitive assessment of the size and dimensions of these changes will have to await surveys conducted in the coming weeks.
