Young Americans favor Hamas over Israel; Dems believe Israel should not be a Jewish state – poll

Nearly half of Americans reject Israel as a Jewish state, poll shows, with Americans under 25 favoring Hamas over Israel by a 20-point margin.

By World Israel News Staff

A majority of Americans continue to support Israel over Hamas, but voters under 25 favor Hamas by a wide margin and most Democrats say Israel should not be defined as a Jewish state, according to a new Harvard CAPS/Harris poll.

In a forced-choice question asking voters whether they supported Israel or Hamas more in the conflict, 73% chose Israel and 27% chose Hamas.

The result was sharply divided by age. Among voters ages 18 to 24, 60% supported Hamas more, compared with 40% who chose Israel. Support for Israel increased steadily among older voters, reaching 62% among those ages 25 to 34, 67% among those ages 35 to 44 and 88% among voters ages 65 and older.

The poll also found a significant partisan divide, although majorities in all three political groups favored Israel.

Republicans supported Israel over Hamas by 85% to 15%, while independents chose Israel by 69% to 31%. Among Democrats, Israel led by a narrower 63% to 37%.

The results showed that choosing Hamas over Israel in the conflict did not necessarily indicate a generally favorable opinion of the terrorist organization.

Only 11% of respondents said they viewed Hamas favorably, while 59% held an unfavorable opinion, giving the group a net favorability rating of minus 48 points.

Israel received equal favorable and unfavorable ratings, with 37% expressing a positive opinion and 37% a negative one. The remaining respondents either had no opinion or were unfamiliar with it.

The Palestinian Authority was viewed favorably by 17% and unfavorably by 45%, producing a net rating of minus 28 points.

The survey also found broad support for Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish homeland, but considerably less agreement that the country should formally be defined as a Jewish state.

Seventy-six percent said Israel had a right to exist as the homeland of the Jewish people, while 24% said it did not.

Even among voters ages 18 to 24, 52% affirmed Israel’s right to exist as the Jewish homeland, compared with 48% who rejected it. Support rose to 92% among voters ages 65 and older.

When respondents were asked about Israel’s political character, however, 56% said Israel should be defined as a Jewish state. Forty-four percent said it should instead be “a state without an official religious or ethnic identity.”

Democrats narrowly rejected the Jewish-state definition. Fifty-two percent said Israel should have no official religious or ethnic identity, while 48% said it should be defined as a Jewish state.

Republicans supported the Jewish-state definition by 70% to 30%. Independents were nearly evenly divided, with 49% supporting a Jewish-state definition and 51% favoring a state without an official religious or ethnic identity.

The generational division was again most pronounced among the youngest voters. Sixty-two percent of respondents ages 18 to 24 said Israel should not have an official religious or ethnic identity, while 38% said it should be defined as a Jewish state.

Voters ages 25 to 34 supported the Jewish-state definition by 54% to 46%. Support remained at 54% among those ages 35 to 44 and increased to 63% among voters 65 and older.

The distinction between the two questions indicated that some respondents believed Israel had a right to exist as the Jewish homeland while opposing its formal definition as a Jewish state.

The poll separately found that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s standing among American voters had deteriorated since the previous survey in May.

Twenty-four percent viewed Netanyahu favorably, while 39% viewed him unfavorably, giving him a net rating of minus 15 points. In May, Netanyahu was viewed favorably by 26% and unfavorably by 35%, for a net rating of minus 9.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s net rating improved slightly, although he remained underwater. Twenty-seven percent viewed Mamdani favorably and 35% viewed him unfavorably, producing a net rating of minus 7.

In May, Mamdani had a 23% favorable and 33% unfavorable rating, leaving him at minus 10. His improved net score resulted from his favorable rating rising more than his unfavorable rating, rather than from a decline in the percentage viewing him negatively.

Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson received a net rating identical to Netanyahu’s. Twenty-three percent viewed Carlson favorably and 38% unfavorably, placing him at minus 15. His net rating had been minus 12 in May, when 23% viewed him favorably and 35% unfavorably.

Despite the sharp divisions over Israel, the poll found broad agreement on several related regional issues.

Seventy-seven percent said terrorist groups, including Hamas and Hezbollah, were present along Israel’s borders. A 43% plurality said those organizations were attempting to destroy Israel, while 33% said they were fighting for greater rights in their territory and 23% said they were seeking to expand their territory.

Seventy percent said Hezbollah should be required to disarm as part of a long-term peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon. That position was supported by 79% of Republicans, 67% of independents and 65% of Democrats.

The Harvard CAPS/Harris survey was conducted online July 11 and 12 among 1,776 registered US voters. The results were weighted to reflect the electorate’s demographic and political composition. The poll reported a margin of error of 2.3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

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