Israel is winning wars but losing American public opinion

Israel may be beating its enemies in the Middle East, but it is losing something just as important: the American public.

According to a new Pew Research Center survey, more than 60 percent of Americans now view Israel unfavorably — up from 53 percent last year. 

This is a recent survey, meaning it captures public sentiment after the opening salvo of the Iran war. More striking still is the intensity: 28 percent of respondents said they hold a “very unfavorable view of Israel,” up 9 points in one year and nearly triple the figure from 2022.

Even before Iran entered the discussion, Israel was already losing friends. The war in Gaza had soured many Americans, particularly younger folks on the left. At the same time, antisemitism on the far right has staged a comeback in the Trump era.

Taken together, this might have served as a flashing warning sign for Israel. Instead, Israel appears to have decided that whatever reputational damage might come drawing the U.S. into the effort to topple the Iranian regime was a price worth paying.

In strictly “Israel first” terms, there is an argument to be made. After the massacre of October 7, 2023 — featuring murder, rape, torture, and hostage-taking by Hamas — Israel’s sense of existential threat expanded beyond the theoretical. And although Iran clearly did not and does not pose an imminent danger to the U.S., Israel doesn’t share the luxury of distance.

Still, Israel’s long-term security has rested........

© The Hill