American Support for Israel Continues to Drop Among Younger Generations

Meanwhile, Israelis saw Trump as “dangerous,” but in control; have less confidence in Biden.

By Israel Today Staff | | Topics: America
Staff at the Israeli President's Residence prepare for the upcoming visit of US president Joe Biden.
Staff at the Israeli President's Residence prepare for the upcoming visit of US president Joe Biden. Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash90

A majority of Americans support Israel. But that might not remain true 10 or 20 years from now. That was one of the key takeaways of a Pew Research Center survey published in full this week.

The percentage of Americans who back the Jewish state has been dropping for years. According to the latest poll, 55% of US citizens view Israel favorably, compared to 41% who view the Jewish state unfavorably.

A decade ago, 61% of US respondents viewed Israel favorably.

That downward trend is expected to continue.

The new poll shows that among Americans aged 18-29, a strong 56% majority views Israel unfavorably.

Among respondents aged 30-49, just 49% support Israel, while 47% hold unfavorable views of the Jewish state.

Support for Israel is strongest among Americans aged 65 and over.

Will Israel lose majority support in the US in the coming decades? The numbers seem to suggest as much.

See related: New Survey Exposes Evangelical Support for Israel as Exaggerated

 

Trump vs. Biden

The other big takeaway from the survey was that Israelis have less confidence in US President Joe Biden than they did in his predecessor, Donald Trump.

This isn’t much of a surprise, given that Trump upended decades of US foreign policy by officially recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the Jewish state’s sovereignty on the Golan Heights, among other major concessions.

That earned Trump the approval of 71% of Israelis polled by Pew in 2019.

Biden enjoys the confidence of 60% of Israelis, still a strong majority, though they view him as lagging far behind Trump in leadership and charisma.

However, while Israelis liked Trump better than Biden, they also viewed him as “arrogant” (65%) and “dangerous” (42% plurality). It’s important to note, though, that these traits are not necessarily negative in Israel, a country in which many believe one must be a bull-headed risk-taker to be effective.

You Might Also Like
Load more
Members

Israel Today Membership

Read all member content. Access exclusive, in-depth reports from Israel! Free Zoom events. Connect with Israel right from your home! Raise a voice of truth and hope. Support Faith-based journalism in Jerusalem!

Monthly
Membership

$5
/ month
Full access to Israel Today's Member-only content on all Digital Platforms.
Become a Member

Yearly
Membership

$46
/ year
Full access to Israel Today's Member-only content on all Digital Platforms.
Save 18% Per Month.
Become a Member

Six Months
Membership

$28
every 6 months
Full access to Israel Today's Member-only content on all Digital Platforms.
Save 9% Per Month.
Become a Member
Israel Today comments guidelines Kommentar-Regeln

Leave a Reply

Israel Today Newsletter

Daily news

FREE to your inbox

Israel Heute Newsletter

Tägliche Nachrichten

KOSTENLOS in Ihrer Inbox

Subscribe to our Daily Newsletter