Poll: Netanyahu more popular in US than Tucker Carlson, Mamdani and Schumer

A plurality of Americans have a positive view of Israel, a new poll shows, while Israel’s prime minister enjoys a higher net rating than the top Senate Democrat, the mayor of New York and a far-right podcaster.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News 

A recent poll has found that Israel’s prime minister is more popular among Americans than a number of prominent American politicians and a right-wing podcaster who is among Israel’s most vocal critics.

The Harvard/HarrisX poll, which was published last week, was conducted among 2,745 registered voters from April 23-26.

The poll found that registered American voters have, on balance, a slightly favorable opinion of Israel, with 41% saying they view the Jewish state positively, compared to 36% who have an unfavorable view.

However, more respondents (19%) said they view Israel very unfavorably than said they view Israel very favorably (16%).

By contrast, the Palestinian Authority has a net favorability rating of minus-28, with just 16% of respondents having a positive view of the PA, compared to 44% who have an unfavorable opinion of it.

Nine percent of Americans view Hamas favorably, while 59% have a negative opinion of the terror group.

Nearly three-quarters (74%) of respondents said they support Israel over Hamas, including 86% of Republicans, 68% of independents, and 66% of Democrats.

Support for Israel was strongest among older Americans, with 89% of respondents over 65 favoring Israel over Hamas, compared to 78% of those 55-64, 76% of the 45-54 cohort, 71% in the 35-44 age group, 60% of respondents 25-34, and just 54% of respondents under 25.

While 76% of respondents agreed that there are terrorist groups on Israel’s borders, including Hamas and Hezbollah, just 43% said they believe those terrorist groups seek to destroy Israel, while 34% said the terror groups are fighting “just to have more rights in their territory,” along with 23% who believe Hamas and Hezbollah “are trying to expand their territory.”

The poll also assessed the net favorability rating of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who has been the target of criticism in the United States both on the left and on the far right.

One of Netanyahu’s most prominent and vocal critics, podcaster Tucker Carlson, received far less favorable ratings than Netanyahu, the poll found.

Just 23% of respondents said they had a positive perception of the former Fox News host, compared to 37% who view him unfavorably, for a net rating of minus-14 points.

Netanyahu, on the other hand, is viewed favorably by 27% of Americans, with an unfavorable rating of 34%, for a net rating of minus-7 points.

Of the 17 public figures included in the poll, only two had net positive ratings: Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Netanyahu’s favorability rating exceeded those of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has been floated as a possible Democratic candidate for the 2028 presidential election, and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a prominent critic of Israel who has been accused of antisemitism.

Just 24% of Americans view Mamdani favorably, compared to 33% who view him unfavorably, for a net rating of -9 points. Newsom received a net rating of minus-8 points.

One month earlier, Netanyahu trailed Mamdani and Newsom, and led Carlson by just one point.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer received the second-lowest rating of all the figures included in the latest poll, with a net favorability rating of minus-20 points, with just 22% of Americans having a favorable opinion of the senator, compared to 42% who view him negatively.

Only Russian President Vladimir Putin has a more negative net rating.