US support for Israel eroding more deeply than it appears, reflecting wider social and generational shift: report

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israel’s standing in the United States has deteriorated more profoundly than surface-level political indicators suggest, with the shift reflecting a fundamental transformation in American public opinion, social values and generational attitudes rather than simply a change in political rhetoric, according to a report by Israeli news site Walla.

“Israel’s standing in the United States has been damaged more deeply than it appears, and this transformation began largely after the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip,” the Hebrew-language outlet said, noting that for decades the U.S.-Israel relationship had been regarded as one of the most stable pillars of American foreign policy. “But in recent weeks, amid regional developments and unprecedented statements from senior US officials, a troubling message has begun to emerge: a fundamental change has occurred.”

The report cited polling data it described as unprecedented. Around 60% of Americans now hold negative views of Israel, while among Americans aged 18 to 29, roughly 75% express greater sympathy for Palestinians than for Israelis — figures the site said had no historical precedent, given that broad bipartisan consensus in favor of Israel had long held even among some Jewish respondents.

The political shift has become increasingly visible in Congress. When the Senate recently debated an arms deal with Israel, 40 of 47 Democratic senators voted against it. Senator Bernie Sanders noted the scale of the change: only a few years ago, such a position would have been considered political suicide for a senator.

The site noted that potential 2028 presidential candidates from both major parties no longer view unconditional support for Israel as a clear electoral advantage — and in some cases, it said, there is “competition over who can distance themselves more from Israel.”

Former Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel, cited as a prominent example of this shift within the Democratic mainstream, recently said he would consider cutting the roughly $3.8 billion in annual U.S. security aid to Israel and imposing conditions in the event of violations.

The report traces the transformation primarily to Israel’s war on Gaza. “The images, destruction and international criticism have had a profound impact on American public opinion, especially among the younger generation,” it said. The shift has deepened further since the US and Israel launched their joint war on Iran on February 28, with some in Washington pointing to the role of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in promoting a hardline approach toward Iran — a narrative the site said is reaching broader American audiences.

The generational dimension is central to the report’s analysis.

The American generation that grew up viewing Israel through the lens of the 1967 and 1973 wars is giving way to one shaped by images from Gaza, social media and different global narratives. President Trump, the report notes, belongs to the older generation of strong unconditional support.

“All indicators suggest that whether a Democratic or Republican president is elected, the position toward Israel is expected to be less tolerant and more restrained,” the site concluded. “The alliance between Israel and the United States is not collapsing, but it is no longer taken for granted. What was once considered a near-sacred consensus has become a subject of political and public debate, even across generations.”