Americans express more favorable than unfavorable views of both the Israeli people and the Palestinian people.
But views of political leadership in the region – the Israeli government, the Palestinian Authority and Hamas – are more negative than positive.
Nearly six-in-ten Americans (59%) now have an unfavorable view of the Israeli government, while 68% view the Palestinian Authority negatively and 84% have an unfavorable view of Hamas.
Views of the Israeli people and the Israeli government are more negative than in previous years, while views of the Palestinian people have remained relatively stable.
The Israeli people
- 56% of U.S. adults say they have a favorable view of the Israeli people.
- This is down 8 percentage points since 2024 and 11 points since 2022.
The Israeli government
- 59% of Americans have an unfavorable view of the Israeli government, while 35% have a favorable view.
- These views are more negative than in 2024, when 51% said they had an unfavorable opinion and 41% said they had a favorable opinion.
- In 2022, views were more mixed (47% favorable, 43% unfavorable)
The Palestinian people
Views of the Palestinian people have been relatively stable in the United States since 2022. Today, 52% have a favorable opinion of the Palestinian people, compared with 50% in 2024 and 53% in 2022.
Views of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas have also remained relatively stable – and largely negative – in the past year:
- 68% have an unfavorable view of the Palestinian Authority (which controls the West Bank), the same share as in 2024.
- An even larger share (84%) has an unfavorable view of Hamas (which has controlled Gaza), also unchanged from 2024.
Partisan differences
There are wide partisan gaps in Americans’ views of most of these groups (the exception is Hamas – which is viewed negatively by wide majorities of both Republicans and Democrats).
Views of the Israeli people
- Two-thirds of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents have a favorable view of the Israeli people.
- Democrats and Democratic leaners are split, with as many saying they have a favorable opinion of the Israeli people as an unfavorable view (48% each).
- In both parties, views of the Israeli people are less positive than they were in early 2024.
Views of the Israeli government
- A narrow majority of Republicans (55%) say they have a favorable view of the Israeli government, with 41% saying they have an unfavorable opinion.
- Just 18% of Democrats say they have a favorable opinion of the Israeli government, while 77% have an unfavorable view (almost half – 46% – say they have a very unfavorable view).
- Views of the Israeli government have grown more negative in both parties since 2024.
Views of the Palestinian people
- 70% of Democrats say they have a favorable opinion of the Palestinian people, while a quarter have an unfavorable opinion.
- A far smaller share of Republicans (37%) view the Palestinian people positively, while 59% say they have an unfavorable view.
Views of the Palestinian Authority
- An overwhelming majority of Republicans (82%) say they have an unfavorable view of the Palestinian Authority.
- A smaller majority of Democrats (56%) say they have an unfavorable view of the Palestinian Authority, while 37% say they have a favorable opinion.
Views of Hamas
- Overwhelming majorities in both parties say they have an unfavorable view of Hamas (89% of Republicans and 82% of Democrats).
- Two-thirds of Republicans (66%) and about half of Democrats (51%) say they have a very unfavorable opinion of Hamas.
