Americans’ views of Israel and its prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, have grown markedly more negative over the past four years, with disapproval now spanning age groups and widening across political divides, according to new data from Pew Research Center.

The survey, conducted between March 23 and March 29 among 3,507 US adults, found that 60% of respondents hold an unfavourable view of Israel, up from 53% in 2025 and from around 40% in 2022. The share expressing a very unfavourable opinion has nearly tripled over that period, rising from 10% in 2022 to 28% in 2026.

Confidence in Netanyahu has also deteriorated. Some 59% of Americans said they have little or no confidence in the Israeli leader “to do the right thing regarding world affairs”, compared with 52% a year earlier.

The findings come amid heightened geopolitical tensions following the US- and Israeli-led war in Iran, which was under way during the survey period.

Partisan divides persist but narrow among younger voters

While partisan differences remain pronounced, the data suggest a generational shift within both major US political parties. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, 80% now express an unfavourable view of Israel, up from 69% in 2025 and 53% in 2022.

Younger Democrats are particularly critical: 47% of those under 50 report a very unfavourable view, compared with 39% among older Democrats.

Republicans and Republican-leaning independents continue to view Israel more positively overall, with 58% expressing favourable opinions against 41% unfavourable. However, sentiment among younger Republicans has cooled. Among those aged 18 to 49, 57% now hold a negative view of Israel, up from 50% a year earlier, while older Republicans remain largely supportive.

In both parties, majorities of adults under 50 now rate Israel and Netanyahu negatively, marking a notable shift in the demographic profile of US support.

Attitudes towards Israel vary significantly across religious groups. Jewish Americans and White evangelical Protestants remain among the most supportive, with 64% and 65% respectively expressing favourable views.

By contrast, support is considerably lower among other groups. Only 39% of White non-evangelical Protestants and 35% of Catholics view Israel positively, alongside 33% of Black Protestants. Among religiously unaffiliated Americans, just 22% express favourable opinions.

Muslim Americans are the most critical group surveyed, with only 4% reporting a positive view of Israel.

The Pew study forms part of a broader examination of US public opinion on international affairs, including perceptions of the Israel-Hamas conflict and Washington’s relationship with Israel. The polling included an oversample of Muslim, Jewish and non-Hispanic Asian respondents to improve representation of smaller demographic groups.

The results indicate that public sentiment towards Israel is becoming more polarised and, in aggregate, more negative — a shift that could carry implications for US foreign policy debates as the conflict in the Middle East evolves.