Israel: Losing the American public

A child extends his pot amid food shortages in Gaza

As President Trump reportedly put it while speaking to a prominent Jewish donor: "My people are starting to hate Israel."

(Image credit: Abdalhkem Abu Riash / Anadolu / Getty Images)

"The transformation of Israel's image from David to Goliath, from righteous to wrathful" has tarnished its reputation in the U.S., said Jackie Calmes in the Los Angeles Times. A Gallup poll published last week found that only 32% of Americans back Israel's military action in Gaza, down from 50% in late 2023. The survey was conducted last month, largely "before the torrent of heartrending photos of malnourished babies" spread around the world. The reduced support "was driven by increased opposition among Democrats and independents," only 8% and 25% of whom, respectively, back Israel's war aims. Some on the American right are also lashing out, said Jacob Magid in The Times of Israel. According to a Pew Research poll from April, 50% of young Republicans view Israel unfavorably, up from 35% in 2022. That "animosity" is shared by a few sitting GOP lawmakers; MAGA firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene, for instance, is "no less critical of the Jewish state than some of the most progressive Democrats." As President Trump reportedly put it while speaking to a prominent Jewish donor: "My people are starting to hate Israel."

The idea that the GOP is divided over Israel is, however, "mostly fiction," said Matthew Continetti in The Free Press. Yes, the predictable "foreign-policy restrainers" like Tucker Carlson are blasting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu through their "megaphones." But Trump "remains as resolutely pro-Israel as ever," and the vast majority of Republican voters "continue to reward politicians who stand with the Jewish state against Jihadism." That Gallup poll? Republican support for Israel's war against Hamas actually jumped from 66% to 71%. The data simply don't back the notion that the "reliably pro-Israel GOP is wobbly."

While Trump and his supporters have stuck with Netanyahu, Israel can't ignore that the world and a majority of Americans have turned against it, said Joe Klein in his Substack newsletter. Israel becoming a "pariah state" would be all too "convenient for the antisemites," and Jews everywhere, including the U.S., would suffer. So, American Jews—who "carry some weight in Israel"—should strive for "unanimity" on both the "evil of Hamas" and "the excesses of the Netanyahu government." In the U.S., "every Jewish pulpit in the land" should call for an end to "starvation and displacement" in Gaza. A strong Israel serves as a "security blanket" for the Jewish people in a hostile world, and its future is essential. "But decency is integral to real moral strength."