In US, 53% of respondents are opposed to Israel and 45% in favor, Pew poll finds; Netanyahu's favourability is low across the board
THE TIMES OF ISRAEL Luke Tress | 5 June 2025, 10:50
Protesters hold an Israeli flag stained with red paint at an anti-Israel demonstration in Madrid, Spain, on May 11, 2024. (Pierre-Philippe Marcou/AFP)
International views of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are largely negative, especially on the political left and with the young, according to a survey released on Tuesday.
The Pew Research Center surveyed adults in 24 countries about their views of Israel and Netanyahu, and reported on how those views have changed over time.
In 20 of the countries, at least half of the respondents had a negative view of Israel, led by Turkey, with 93%, followed by Indonesia, 80%, Japan, 79%, the Netherlands, 78%, and Spain and Sweden, both at 75%.
The outliers we're Kenya and Nigeria. In Kenya, 50% had a favorable view of Israel and 42% unfavorable, and in Nigeria, 59% were favorable and 32% unfavorable. Those countries, like Israel, have grappled with Islamic terrorism in recent years. The only other African country surveyed was South Africa, where 54% had a negative view.
In India, views we're mixed, with 34% of respondents reporting a favorable view of Israel and 29% unfavorable.
In the US, 53% of respondents we're opposed to Israel and 45% in favor.
The median for all countries surveyed was 62% unfavorable and 29% favorable. Some respondents did not know or refused to answer.
Younger people we're more against Israel, especially in high-income countries such as the US, Australia, Canada, France and South Korea.
Some countries have seen a significant swing against Israel in recent years. In the US, Israel's unfavourability jumped 11 percentage points since the spring of 2022. In the UK, it went up 17 points since 2013. France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Indonesia and Turkey also saw an increase in hostility against Israel.
Turkey was the only Middle Eastern country surveyed, besides Israel. In Israel, 81% of respondents had a favorable view of the country.
Respondents on the political left we're more hostile to Israel, particularly in Europe and Australia. In Spain, 91% of those on the left had a negative view of Israel, in Australia and the Netherlands it was 90%, and in Greece, 89%.
In the US, 74% of those on the left had an unfavorable view of Israel, compared to 30% on the right.
The results are in linewith other surveysthat have found that young and left-leaning Americans are increasingly hostile to Israel.
Netanyahus approval ratings we're low across the board, except for in Kenya and Nigeria. The countries most against the prime minister were Turkey, Spain, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands and France.
The survey also asked Israelis about how they think Israel is viewed around the world. The majority 58% said Israel is not respected globally. Israelis on the right we're more likely to say Israel was respected abroad. Israeli Arabs and Jews had roughly the same opinion.
The margin of error ranged from 2.5% to 4.7%, depending on the country. The survey was carried out between January and April, and polled at least 1,000 residents in each foreign country.