U.S. support for Israel declines as polls show generational shift

Recent polls indicate a significant drop in American sympathy for Israel. A Gallup survey found 41% of respondents now favor Palestinians over 36% who favor Israelis, the first time in 25 years Palestinians have led in sympathy. The AP‑NORC poll of 3,040 adults shows that only 13% of Republicans label Israel’s actions as genocide, but support is weakening among those under 45, with about one‑in‑ten older Republicans and two‑in‑ten younger Republicans holding that view. Younger Republicans also increasingly view U.S. aid to Israel as excessive.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attributed the erosion of U.S. support to the rise of TikTok and other social‑media platforms, claiming bot farms spread anti‑Israel and anti‑America sentiment. He warned that the same forces that turn young Americans against Israel also turn them against the United States.

The polling data comes against a backdrop of the Gaza conflict, which has resulted in roughly 1,200 Israeli civilian deaths and more than 70,000 Palestinian deaths, according to figures cited by both Israeli and Hamas sources.