Key Takeaways:
For the first time in a quarter-century, more Americans now sympathize with Palestinians than Israelis — a collapse in US support that spans party lines and age groups and threatens Israel's long-standing bipartisan backing in Washington.
The shift is most pronounced among Americans aged 35 to 54, whose preference for Israelis over Palestinians fell 33 percentage points since 2020 to 28%, while sympathy for Palestinians rose to 46%, according to Gallup data cited by William Galston, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece published June 10. Among adults under 35, Palestinians now lead by 53% to 23% — a complete reversal from six years ago, when young Americans favored Israelis by 48% to 29%.
"Israel's current governing coalition has neither the capacity nor the will to change course," Galston wrote. "The country needs a new government whose leaders are capable of facing reality."
Even among older Americans — historically Israel's strongest demographic — sympathy for the country has declined to 49% from 66% in 2020. Among Republicans, the party's most loyal Israel backers, sympathy dropped 17 points over the same period. The only demographic group still giving Netanyahu majority support: Republicans over the age of 50, Galston said.
The erosion of support carries direct implications for US foreign policy. With 70% of Americans under 50 holding unfavorable views of Israel, and support for a two-state solution reaching 57% — the highest level in more than two decades — the political calculus for US lawmakers weighing military aid or diplomatic backing for Israel has shifted fundamentally. Israel holds elections this fall, and Galston warned that if voters return the current government, "many Americans will conclude that the Israel they have supported for decades no longer exists."
The data behind the divide
The Gallup findings align with separate Pew Research Center surveys conducted during and after the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, which began Feb. 28 with airstrikes that killed Iran's supreme leader and ended with a ceasefire on April 7. Pew found that 75% of Israelis said the US made the right decision in attacking Iran, while 80% of Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem said it was wrong. Among Americans, roughly six-in-ten said the US made the wrong decision — a view that held steady between March and late April.
The partisan split on the Iran war mirrors the broader Israel divide. Pew found that 70% of Republicans said the US made the right decision, while 90% of Democrats said it was wrong. Among Republicans under 50, however, only 57% hold favorable views of Israel, according to Gallup — a warning sign for Netanyahu's strategy of aligning with the GOP.
American Jews turn critical
The shift extends to American Jews, a constituency long considered a bedrock of pro-Israel sentiment. Gallup data cited by Galston shows 61% of American Jews now say Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza, and 39% describe its conduct as genocide. Netanyahu's approval rating among American Jews rated as "poor" jumped to 48% in fall 2025 from 28% in 2020. Only 10% of Democrats under 50 express confidence in his leadership.
What's at stake
The political realignment comes as Israel approaches elections this fall. If the current governing coalition retains power despite the erosion of US support, the strategic consequences could be lasting. Galston argued that Israel's problem is not one of public relations but of public policy — and that American attitudes will not shift unless Israel changes course on Gaza and the broader Palestinian question.
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