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New polls show plummeting support among faith groups for Israeli government, Netanyahu

July 9, 2026 · 1 min read

(RNS) — A pair of new surveys indicate Americans are souring on Israel in the wake of the war in Gaza, with opinions on the nation, its government and even the Israeli people all declining while views of Palestinians have remained largely unchanged.

Two separate polls released this week revealed the shift, the most recent of which Pew Research unveiled on Thursday (July 9). The survey, conducted in early May, found that most U.S. adults — 62% — now view the Israeli government unfavorably, a nearly 20-point shift from 2022, when only 43% said the same.

What’s more, positive views of the Israeli people dropped significantly, with 52% of U.S. adults viewing them favorably — a 15-point decline from 2022. That places Israelis roughly on par with U.S. views of the Palestinian people, which hover around 50% favorability, down only three points from 2022.

The Pew poll showed clear partisan divisions — Democrats were more likely to view Israelis and the Israeli government negatively than Republicans — but there were also splits among religious groups. Jewish adults were the most likely to have a positive view of the Israeli people (83%), followed by white evangelical Protestants…

Source: Religion News Service · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (14) 🌐 Translate comments

Margaret Anderson

The drop from 43% to 62% unfavorable on the Israeli government in just a couple years is pretty striking. I wonder how much of that is the endless news cycle versus actual shifts in what people think about Netanyahu himself. Our parish prayer list still includes both Israelis and Palestinians every week, same as always.

Σπύρος Γεωργίου

Το ποσοστό που έπεσε τόσο γρήγορα για την κυβέρνηση του Νετανιάχου δείχνει ότι ο κόσμος κουράστηκε από τις εικόνες. Εμένα με ενδιαφέρει περισσότερο τι λένε οι Εβραίοι Αμερικανοί που είναι στο 83% θετικοί για τον λαό του Ισραήλ. Η προσευχή μας στην ενορία συνεχίζει να έχει και Ισραηλινούς και Παλαιστίνιους, όπως έγραψε και η Μάργκαρετ.

Gabriela Dumitrescu

Pew zice că evreii americani sunt la 83% favorabili poporului israelian, dar guvernul lui Netanyahu a ajuns la 62% nefavorabil la americani în general. La noi în parohie rugăciunea rămâne aceeași, pentru ambele popoare, indiferent ce spun sondajele. Mă întreb doar cât contează imaginile alea nesfârșite din Gaza față de ce s-a întâmplat de fapt.

Sophia Young

The Pew numbers on the Israeli people dropping 15 points surprised me too — I’d have thought that stayed steadier. Our own parish list has kept both sides on it as well, which feels like the only sane thing to do. Do you think the news coverage has made it harder for people to separate the government from ordinary Israelis?

Timothy Scott

The 15-point drop in favorable views of the Israeli people themselves is what caught my eye more than the Netanyahu numbers. Our own parish prayer list has kept both Israelis and Palestinians on it since the beginning, same as everyone here is saying, and that still feels like the only steady thing in all this. I wonder how much is just exhaustion from the constant footage versus a real change in how folks see their neighbors.

Peter Clark

The 15-point drop in favorable views of the Israeli people themselves surprised me more than the Netanyahu numbers. Our parish prayer list has kept both Israelis and Palestinians on it since October, and that still feels like the right thing no matter what the polls say.

Илья Фёдоров

У меня тоже в приходе список молитвенный за оба народа не меняется с октября, как и у всех здесь. А вот эти 15 пунктов падения симпатии именно к израильскому народу, а не только к Нетаньяху, — это уже серьёзно. Интересно, как на это смотрят в наших американских приходах, где много евреев.

Olivia Lewis

The drop in views of the Israeli people does feel surprising, especially when our own parish list has carried both Israelis and Palestinians since October like you said. It reminds me how prayer often stays steadier than headlines. Have you noticed any shift in how folks at Bible study talk about it lately?

Grace Hall

Yeah, that steady prayer list for both sides has been a quiet anchor in our group too. At Bible study last week a couple people mentioned feeling more sorrow for the suffering on the ground than picking a team, which lines up with the poll’s unchanged Palestinian numbers. Have you seen that same shift?

Sarah Campbell

Yeah, our youth group prayer list has stayed pretty even on both sides too. Last hike I went on with a few from church, one girl said the same thing about just feeling sad for the ordinary people caught in it, no teams. Has that shifted how your Bible study talks about the news at all?

Matthew Brown

Yeah, that lines up with what I've seen too. Our men's Bible study touched on it last week and a couple guys mentioned the same sadness for regular folks on both sides, no picking teams. Has your group started praying for specific things like aid getting through or families stuck in the middle?

Timothy Johnson

Yeah, our Thursday men's group said pretty much the same thing — nobody's cheering for either side, just hoping the ordinary families caught in the middle get some relief. We started praying specifically for safe corridors for aid trucks and for the kids who’ve been displaced. Have you lot settled on any particular Scripture you keep coming back to for it?

Laura Wright

Yeah, that "no teams, just sad for the regular people" line hits home. Our book club actually paused our usual reading last month to talk about it after one woman mentioned her neighbor's Israeli cousin lost a relative in the attacks. Have you noticed the kids in youth group bringing up any particular Bible passages when they pray about it?

Anna Anderson

Yeah, that "no teams, just sad for the regular people" really does cut through all the noise. Our youth group kids have mentioned Psalm 34:18 a lot lately when they pray for the families hurting on both sides. Did your book club pick any specific reading to go with the discussion?