By: Fern Sidman

In a striking response to shifting public sentiment in the United States, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday attributed the recent erosion of support for the Jewish state—particularly among Democrats—to what he described as “a concerted effort to spread vilifications and demonization” of Israel through social media and coordinated advocacy campaigns. His comments, made at a news conference on Capitol Hill following a closed-door meeting with House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), were reported by The Jewish Insider.

The prime minister’s remarks come amid growing concern within pro-Israel circles about a sharp decline in Israel’s favorability ratings in the U.S., especially among Democratic voters and younger Americans, in the wake of the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre and the subsequent war in Gaza. Multiple polls cited by The Jewish Insider have confirmed that Democratic support for Israel has dropped below majority levels, with more voters now viewing Israel unfavorably than favorably—a dramatic shift from past decades when bipartisan support for the U.S.-Israel alliance was considered an article of faith.

“I am certainly interested in maintaining the great support that Israel has had,” Netanyahu said in response to a question posed by The Jewish Insider during the Capitol Hill press briefing. “But I think it’s very clear there’s been a concerted effort to spread vilifications and demonization against Israel on social media.”

As The Jewish Insider has reported over the past year, a confluence of factors has driven the downturn in American public opinion. These include the intense civilian toll of Israel’s military operations in Gaza, viral social media narratives portraying Israel as an aggressor, and the ideological entrenchment of progressive movements that view the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the lens of decolonization and racial justice.

Polls from Pew Research Center, Gallup, and Quinnipiac, among others, have documented these trends. In particular, younger Democrats—those under 35—are now more likely to sympathize with Palestinians than Israelis, a reversal of attitudes from just a decade ago. As The Jewish Insider highlighted in a recent deep-dive, this generational gap has been exacerbated by the dominant influence of platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where pro-Hamas content vastly outpaces pro-Israel messaging in reach and emotional resonance.

Netanyahu, known for his communications prowess and longstanding familiarity with American political currents, emphasized that the shift is not irreversible. “We need to combat the lies with truth, the slander with facts, and the propaganda with courage,” he said. According to the information provided in The Jewish Insider report, Netanyahu stressed that Israel must amplify its messaging in key U.S. constituencies—including college campuses and progressive media spaces—while leaning on its historic alliance with American lawmakers and Jewish institutions.

“We have the moral high ground,” Netanyahu asserted. “We were attacked in the most brutal terror assault in our history. Our war is not one of aggression, but one of defense against an enemy that openly declares its goal to annihilate us.”

To this end, Netanyahu reportedly discussed expanding digital diplomacy initiatives, increasing support for pro-Israel advocacy organizations such as AIPAC and StandWithUs, and fostering direct engagement with African-American, Latino, and other minority communities in the U.S. that have been increasingly courted by anti-Israel coalitions.

The report at the Jewish Insider also noted that the Israeli government is planning to work closely with major American Jewish organizations to recalibrate outreach strategies aimed at younger American Jews—many of whom are estranged from traditional communal institutions and more likely to be skeptical of Israeli policies.

Netanyahu’s visit to Capitol Hill came at a time of increasing partisan polarization over U.S. policy toward Israel. While House Republicans have doubled down on their support for the Netanyahu government, progressive Democrats have become increasingly critical—calling for conditions on military aid, demanding investigations into alleged human rights abuses, and aligning more openly with Palestinian narratives.

Speaker Mike Johnson, in a statement echoed by The Jewish Insider, praised Netanyahu for his “steadfast leadership in the face of genocidal threats” and reaffirmed the GOP’s “ironclad commitment to the security of the Jewish state.” In contrast, no leading House Democrats were present at the event, calling attention to the growing schism between Israel and radical segments of the Democratic Party.

Netanyahu appeared unfazed by the partisan optics. “Israel has friends on both sides of the aisle,” he said. “That has always been true and will remain true. But we cannot ignore the troubling efforts to erode that support from within.”

Part of Netanyahu’s challenge, as noted in The Jewish Insider report is navigating an American media ecosystem that has undergone a profound transformation since the early 2000s. Whereas Israel once relied heavily on editorial boards at newspapers such as The New York Times and The Washington Post, today’s information battlefield is decentralized, algorithm-driven, and susceptible to manipulation by state and non-state actors alike.

“The digital battlefield is where the war for hearts and minds is being fought,” a senior Israeli official traveling with the prime minister told The Jewish Insider. “We are simply outgunned on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, where Hamas propaganda goes viral before we’ve even issued a press release.”

In response, the Israeli government is reportedly investing in new content production hubs in the U.S., hiring influencers and digital strategists to generate “values-based storytelling” designed to resonate with diverse American audiences. Netanyahu, during his Capitol appearance, called it “an urgent task, one that goes beyond Israel and concerns the future of liberal democracies confronting the tide of radicalism.”

Netanyahu acknowledged the uphill battle facing Israel’s public diplomacy. But he insisted that truth and moral clarity remain the country’s most potent weapons.

“We will stand firm against defamation,” he declared. “We will defend not just our people, but the truth itself.”

As The Jewish Insider report observed, the question now is whether that message can penetrate the noise of modern discourse—or whether the narrative tide, once turned, will prove impossible to reverse. Either way, Netanyahu’s remarks make clear that Israel sees itself not just in a military battle, but in a global information war—one with far-reaching consequences for the Jewish state’s future standing in the American conscience.