Pew Research Findings Show Rising Unfavorable Views of Israel Across Much of the World Amid Intensifying Regional Conflicts and Deepening Political Polarization
By: Ariella Haviv
A sweeping new international survey has revealed a significant deterioration in global perceptions of Israel, highlighting what many analysts view as one of the most formidable public diplomacy challenges facing the Jewish state in decades. The findings, released by the Pew Research Center and reported on Friday by Newsmax, indicate that unfavorable views of Israel have risen sharply across much of the world, with particularly notable increases occurring within the last year alone.
The study, conducted between February 8 and May 13 across 36 countries, paints a complex and often troubling portrait of Israel’s standing in global public opinion. According to the survey, a median of 67 percent of adults surveyed now hold an unfavorable view of Israel, compared with only 25 percent who express favorable opinions.
The results underscore the increasingly difficult international environment confronting Israeli leaders as they continue to navigate multiple security challenges, including ongoing conflicts involving Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and escalating tensions with Iran.
Newsmax reported that the survey revealed majorities in most countries now hold negative views of Israel, marking a significant shift in international sentiment compared to previous years.
According to the findings highlighted by Newsmax, unfavorable attitudes toward Israel have become widespread throughout Europe, North America, parts of Latin America, and much of the Muslim world.
Although the United States remains somewhat less critical of Israel than several European nations, Pew found that approximately 60 percent of Americans now hold unfavorable views of the Jewish state.
While that figure represents a majority, it remains lower than levels recorded in several Western European countries where criticism of Israel has become particularly pronounced.
Among the nations surveyed, Sweden and Spain emerged as some of Israel’s harshest critics. Approximately 78 percent of respondents in both countries expressed unfavorable opinions of Israel.
Elsewhere across Europe, negative views generally ranged between 60 percent and 70 percent, reflecting what Newsmax described as a broad deterioration in Israel’s image throughout the continent.
Perhaps even more concerning for Israeli policymakers is the intensity of those views. Pew reported that in countries including Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain, roughly half or more of respondents described their attitudes as “very unfavorable,” suggesting not merely disagreement with Israeli policies but deeply entrenched negative perceptions.
Hungary stood out as one of the relatively more favorable European countries surveyed, while Israel also performed somewhat better in several developing nations outside the Western world.
The most severe criticism documented in the survey came from Muslim-majority countries. According to the findings reported by Newsmax, Pakistan registered approximately 98 percent unfavorable views toward Israel, making it among the most negative nations measured in the survey. Turkey followed closely with roughly 95 percent unfavorable opinions.
Similarly high levels of criticism were recorded in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Malaysia. The figures illustrate the profound challenges facing Israeli diplomacy throughout large portions of the Islamic world, where opposition to Israel remains deeply embedded in political discourse, educational systems, media narratives, and historical grievances.
These numbers are particularly noteworthy because they suggest that public attitudes remain overwhelmingly negative even amid evolving geopolitical relationships between Israel and certain governments in the region.
In contrast to much of Europe and the Muslim world, several African countries demonstrated remarkably favorable attitudes toward Israel. According to Newsmax’s coverage of the Pew findings, Kenya emerged as the most pro-Israel nation included in the survey. Approximately 50 percent of Kenyans expressed favorable views of Israel.
Ghana followed closely with 49 percent favorable opinions, while Nigeria registered 47 percent favorable views. These figures stand in stark contrast to the overwhelmingly negative attitudes observed elsewhere and suggest that Israel continues to enjoy significant goodwill in parts of Africa.
Observers have frequently attributed Israel’s relatively strong standing in several African countries to decades of agricultural cooperation, technological partnerships, medical assistance programs, and security collaboration.
South Africa presented a more nuanced picture. Although the South African government has often been among Israel’s most vocal international critics, public opinion proved somewhat less negative than expected. According to the survey, 58 percent of South Africans expressed unfavorable views of Israel—a figure that remains substantial but is actually slightly below the level recorded in the United States.
One of the most striking findings highlighted by Newsmax involves the widening ideological divisions surrounding Israel, particularly in Western democracies. Pew noted that political orientation has become one of the strongest predictors of attitudes toward Israel.
“In many countries, people on the ideological left and right express vastly different views of Israel,” the report stated.
The United States demonstrated the most dramatic divide. According to Pew, 83 percent of liberals expressed unfavorable views of Israel, compared to only 37 percent of conservatives. The gap reflects a growing political polarization that has transformed Israel from a traditionally bipartisan issue into an increasingly partisan one.
Large ideological divisions were also evident throughout Europe. In Australia, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden, approximately 90 percent of respondents identifying with the political left held unfavorable views of Israel.
By comparison, conservatives generally expressed significantly more favorable opinions. The trend suggests that attitudes toward Israel have become increasingly intertwined with broader ideological debates involving nationalism, globalization, identity politics, colonialism, human rights, and international conflict.
Perhaps the most alarming aspect of the survey for Israeli officials is not merely the level of criticism but the pace at which public opinion appears to be shifting. According to Newsmax’s summary of the findings, unfavorable views increased in 13 of the 24 countries where trend data was available.
In the United States alone, negativity toward Israel rose by approximately 10 percentage points during the past year. Similar increases occurred in Britain, Germany, and Italy.
Meanwhile, countries including Australia, Nigeria, Poland, and the United Kingdom experienced double-digit increases in the share of respondents expressing “very unfavorable” views. Such rapid changes are particularly noteworthy because public opinion on international affairs often evolves gradually.
The pace documented by Pew suggests that recent events have accelerated existing trends and intensified criticism of Israel across diverse regions and demographic groups.
The reasons behind the decline remain intensely debated. Critics of Israel frequently point to military campaigns in Gaza, Lebanon, and more recently Iran as primary drivers of negative perceptions. These conflicts have generated extensive international media coverage, often accompanied by sharp criticism from governments, advocacy organizations, and international institutions.
Analysts have also noted generational shifts. Younger voters in many countries appear significantly more skeptical of Israeli policies than older generations. Social media has become an increasingly influential factor in shaping public understanding of the conflict, particularly among younger demographics who consume information through digital platforms rather than traditional news outlets.
Supporters of Israel, however, offer a markedly different interpretation. They argue that much of the hostility documented in surveys stems from overwhelmingly negative international media coverage, coordinated online activism, and sophisticated information campaigns designed to delegitimize Israel. Israeli leaders have repeatedly warned that anti-Israel narratives spread rapidly across social media networks, often reaching audiences with little familiarity with Israel’s security concerns or historical perspective.
According to supporters of Israel, younger populations are especially susceptible to such campaigns because they rely heavily on social media platforms where emotionally charged content often receives greater visibility than nuanced analysis.
The Pew survey itself did not attempt to determine the causes behind changing attitudes. Instead, it focused solely on measuring public opinion. Nevertheless, the findings have intensified debates about media influence, online activism, foreign information operations, and the broader battle for public perception in the digital age.
The survey also delivered troubling news for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu personally. According to findings highlighted by Newsmax, majorities in most surveyed countries expressed little or no confidence in Netanyahu’s ability to manage world affairs. “Majorities in most countries we surveyed say they are not too or not at all confident in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to do the right thing regarding world affairs,” Pew reported.
More than half of respondents in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, and the United Kingdom said they had no confidence at all in Netanyahu.
Only two countries surveyed—Kenya and the Philippines—recorded majority confidence in the Israeli leader. These results suggest that Israel’s image challenges extend beyond policy disagreements and increasingly involve perceptions of individual leadership.
The findings reported by Newsmax arrive at a particularly consequential moment for Israel. The country continues to confront threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran while simultaneously seeking to preserve relationships with key allies around the globe.
The survey highlights the extent to which military victories and strategic successes do not necessarily translate into favorable international perceptions. For Israeli officials, the challenge extends beyond security and diplomacy. It increasingly encompasses public opinion, information warfare, and the battle to shape global narratives.
Whether the trends identified by Pew represent a temporary reaction to recent conflicts or a more permanent transformation in global attitudes remains uncertain. What is clear is that the Jewish state faces an increasingly complex international environment in which perceptions can influence diplomacy, economic relations, political alliances, and international legitimacy.
As Newsmax noted in its coverage of the survey, the findings underscore the growing diplomatic obstacles confronting Israel as it seeks to maintain support among traditional allies while continuing to address the security threats it views as existential. How Israel responds to these challenges may play a significant role in shaping its international standing for years to come.
