Majority of Americans view Israel as ‘ally’ or ‘friend,’ poll finds

Israel’s 15 percent “enemy” rating was less than half of China’s 32 percent and less than one-third Russia’s 47 percent.

By Corey Walker, The Algemeiner

A strong majority of US adults view Israel positively as a friend or ally, according to a new survey, which showed the Jewish state performing similarly to Ukraine and a bit below Canada.

According to the CNN poll, which was conducted by SSRS from Sept. 16–17, a combined 61 percent of respondents described Israel as either an “ally” or “friendly.”

The survey found that 34 percent of Americans called Israel an ally, while another 27 percent described it as friendly. At the same time, 24 percent characterized Israel as unfriendly and 15 percent as an enemy.

By comparison, 22 percent of US adults described Ukraine as an ally, and another 48 percent characterized the country as friendly. Another 21 percent called Ukraine unfriendly, while 8 percent labeled it an enemy.

America’s northern neighbor, Canada, received higher ratings, with 38 percent calling it an ally and 36 percent calling it friendly.

Canada also recorded lower negative ratings, with 24 percent calling it unfriendly and only 3 percent calling it an enemy.

These figures are notable given Canada’s intensifying tensions with the US amid repeated provocations from US President Donald Trump.

Among the countries viewed more negatively, Russia recorded the strongest unfavorable sentiment, with 36 percent calling Russia unfriendly and 47 describing it as an enemy, a combined 83 percent negative rating.

Only 17 percent viewed Russia as either an ally or friendly.

China also faced predominantly negative assessments, with 44 percent describing it as unfriendly and 32 percent as an enemy. Just 25 percent placed China in the ally or friendly categories.

The survey also illustrates that voters are more likely to see Russia and China in an adversarial light compared to the Jewish state.

Israel’s 15 percent “enemy” rating was less than half of China’s 32 percent and less than one-third Russia’s 47 percent.

However, voters are far more likely to view Israel as an enemy of the US than fellow allied states Canada (3 percent) and Ukraine (8 percent).

The poll comes amid the ongoing deterioration of the public perception of Israel within the US.

In the 3 years following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, massacre in Israel, polls indicate that American voters have an increasingly negative view of the Jewish state.

An April survey by Marquette University Law School found that 54 percent of Americans viewed Israel unfavorably and 33 percent viewed it favorably, producing a net rating of roughly minus 20 points.

One year earlier, Americans had been evenly divided, with 43 percent holding favorable and unfavorable opinions.

This decline has been more intensely felt within the Democratic Party, with a supermajority of Democrats expressing the view that Israel has committed a so-called “genocide” in Gaza.

Although Republicans have largely remained far more steadfast in their support for Israel, polling indicates that support among the youngest cohorts of conservatives has declined precipitously.

Anti-Israel animus within the Republican Party has been inflamed by antisemitic provocateurs such as podcasters Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens, both of whom have peddled anti-Jewish conspiracy theories and spent the past few years falsely accusing Israel of perpetrating atrocities against various ethnic and religious groups.

The latest survey findings offer some relief to supporters of the Jewish state, indicating that Americans still view the country as a friend to the US despite its deteriorating popularity among American voters.