About three in ten US adults believe Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians during the war in Gaza, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The survey, released July 7, 2026, reveals a dramatic erosion of support for the longtime US ally, with rising opposition from Democrats and signs of division among Republicans.
Key Findings on Genocide Accusations
Roughly half of Democrats (approximately 50%) say Israel has committed genocide, while only about 13% of Republicans agree. Among Jewish adults, 30% believe Israel has committed genocide, while 49% say it has not. About 20% of all US adults say Israel has not committed genocide, and roughly half say they do not know enough to form an opinion.
Harold Kalmus, a 69-year-old Democrat from Arden, Delaware, who describes himself as Jewish by birth, said he remembers being proud of Israel when he was younger. “I realize that there is a threat from Hamas. And I realize they’re in a very difficult situation, but what they have done is just an unspeakable horror,” he said of Israel’s military action. “They’re trying to wipe out a civilization as far as I’m concerned.”
Shifting Democratic Views on US Support
The poll shows a decisive shift within the Democratic Party. About 58% of Democrats now say the US is “too supportive” of Israel, up from 45% in an AP-NORC poll from January 2024. This includes 51% of Jewish Democrats. Roughly 62% of Democrats say the US is “not supportive enough” of the Palestinians, up from 49% in 2024.
Younger Democrats (aged 45 and under) are more likely than older Democrats to say the US is “not supportive enough” of Palestinians, but older Democrats are catching up. About 57% of older Democrats now say the US should do more for the Palestinians, up from 39% two years ago.
Joy Jennik, a 73-year-old Democrat from Brookfield, Wisconsin, said she did not have strong opinions on the US-Israel relationship until after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023 attack. Now, she believes Israel is guilty of genocide. “The Gaza Strip, there’s not a lot left of it. Those poor people are barely living,” said Jennik, a retired home economics teacher.
Republican Support for Israel Remains Strong but Divided by Age
Only 13% of Republicans describe Israel’s actions as genocide, though there is an age gap. About 2 in 10 Republicans under 45 say Israel has committed genocide, compared to about 1 in 10 Republicans aged 45 and older. Overall, 60% of Republicans say US support for Israel is “about right.” Only about 2 in 10 Republicans say the US is “too supportive” of Israel, though younger Republicans are more likely to say this. The share of Republicans saying the US is “not supportive enough” has dropped from 39% in 2024 to 15%.
Mike Cardona, a 70-year-old Republican from suburban Phoenix, said he is pleased with US support for Israel and rejects the genocide claim. “I wish they’d gone in harder and better,” Cardona said of Israel’s military action. “Unfortunately, some innocents will be hurt, but Hamas and Hezbollah never took that into consideration when they were killing children and women in Israel.”
Views on Israeli and US Leaders
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is broadly unpopular in the US. Only 20% of US adults have a favorable view of him, while 38% have an unfavorable view; 41% do not know enough to have an opinion. Among Jewish adults, about 6 in 10 view Netanyahu unfavorably. Younger adults are more likely to have no opinion.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, an outspoken critic of Israel, is viewed favorably by 27% of US adults and unfavorably by 28%, with 44% unsure. Jewish adults view Mamdani more positively than Netanyahu: 44% favorable, 39% unfavorable, and 17% unsure. About half of Democrats have a favorable impression of Mamdani.
Context of the War and US Politics
The poll comes nearly three years after Hamas’ attack on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed 1,200 people in Israel, mainly civilians, and took 251 hostages. More than 73,000 Palestinians have died in Gaza according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and militants. Many Americans (about 40%) do not know enough to say whether Israel’s initial military response or its ongoing operations were justified. Among those with an opinion, most say the initial retaliation was justified, but a majority think current actions are not.
The US-Israel relationship remains a tense issue in American politics, just four months before midterm elections. Vice President JD Vance recently criticized Israeli leaders, while vocal critics of Israel defeated establishment-backed Democrats in New York and Colorado primaries. However, for many voters like Michael Ripka, a 34-year-old stage hand from Casper, Wyoming, the economy is the top concern. “Everything is mad expensive,” he said, adding that Middle East conflicts are “100 percent a very big distraction.”
