Global Opinion Turns Against Israel, New Poll

Morocco World

05-06-2025

Rabat – The new Pew Research Center survey conducted across 24 countries reveals that global perceptions of Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are overwhelmingly negative – even in countries that once held positive views of Israel.
In 20 of the 24 countries surveyed, roughly half or more of adults reported an unfavorable opinion of Israel. This sentiment was especially strong in nations such as Australia, Greece, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Turkiye, where around or more than 75% of people held negative views.
The United States also saw a significant shift, with the share of Americans expressing a negative view of Israel increased from 42% in March 2022 to 53% in March 2025, marking an 11% rise over three years.
Expectedly, Political ideology helped shape public opinion. Across many countries, those on the left were far more likely to view Israel unfavorably compared to those on the right. In Australia, 90% of left-leaning respondents had an unfavorable view of Israel, compared to just 46% on the right. The ideological divide in the US was similarly stark: 74% of liberals viewed Israel negatively, versus 30% of conservatives.
The data also shows a stark generational divide. Younger respondents in several high-income countries—including Australia, Canada, France, Poland, South Korea, and the US— were significantly more likely than older generations to hold negative views of Israel. This age gap was particularly pronounced in the US.
War criminal in charge
While Israel's system of apartheid and ethnic cleansing and apartheid surpass and pre-date Netanyahu — warranted for war crimes at the International Criminal Court (ICC) — confidence in the Israeli prime minister was also low across most surveyed countries.
Outside of Kenya and Nigeria, no more than 33% of adults expressed confidence in his ability to handle world affairs. In countries such as Australia, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Turkiye, around 74% or more said they had little or no confidence in Netanyahu, with many expressing no confidence at all.
Younger respondents again expressed less confidence in Netanyahu than older ones. In Hungary, for example, only 20% of adults aged 18–34 said they trusted Netanyahu, compared to 40% of those 50 and older.
Ideologically, the pattern mirrored views of Israel: right-leaning individuals were more likely to express confidence in Netanyahu. In France, 25% of right-leaning respondents had confidence in him, compared to just 8% on the left.
A few outliers
By contrast, views were more favorable in Kenya and Nigeria, where around half or more of respondents viewed Israel positively. This relatively favorable perception is likely rooted in the influence of Christian Zionism among the growing evangelical and Pentecostal communities in both countries, which Israel actively supports.
These groups tend to view Israel through a biblical lens — as a fulfillment of a sacred prophecy — which shapes public opinion through sermons and teachings that cultivates unwavering support for Israel while shielding its human rights crimes.
In India, the public opinion was relatively divided, with 34% holding a favorable view and 29% an unfavorable one. This can be in part linked to the rise of Hindu-Nationalism and anti-Muslim sentiment in India, especially under prime minister Narendra Modi.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (PJB) has increasingly aligned itself with Israel both diplomatically and ideologically, centering Israel's policies as a model for its own approach towards Muslims and occupied Kashmir.
When it comes to views within Israel, the center focused its research on whether nationals feel that Israel is 'respected' globally without offering subsequent questions on what that respect entails in their view.
The research shows that 58% of Israelis believe their country is not respected internationally, compared to 39% who believe it is. The centre notes that this shift marks a growing pessimism from the previous year, with a notable increase in the share who feel Israel is 'not at all' respected — from 15% to 24%.
The research also found that Israelis on the right are more likely than those on the left to believe that the entity is respected internationally. However, it found that Arab citizens of Israel and Jewish citizens expressed similar views on this question.
Notably, in this case the research only includes Arabs living within Israel's 1948 border following the Nakba, and does not reflect the views of Palestinians in the West Bank or Gaza — those who borne the brunt of Israeli apartheid and genocide.