"Armageddon Americans" are looking for a way out!

In my previous article, I mentioned that a significant portion of educated, secular young Jews in Israel are migrating to Europe. This group does not see a secure future for themselves in Israel. Among young Jews living in countries outside Israel, a break from Zionism is also taking place. One of the important reasons for this divorce from Zionism is the genocide of Palestinians. A significant number of Jews in the West, especially in the US, do not want to be identified with Israel.

A similar development is taking place in the US, Israel's patron. America's global image is also at rock bottom, just like Israel's. The headline of the May 31 article by Andrew O'Hehir, editor-in-chief of the influential American news site Salon, was: "Do Americans really know how much the world hates us?" According to information provided by O'Hehir, there has been an explosion in applications for foreign citizenship in the US in the last few years. Noting that he himself holds an Irish passport, O'Hehir points out that in 2025, approximately 20,000 Americans applied for Irish citizenship. Thousands of Americans have also applied for British citizenship.

Likewise, thousands of Americans prefer Canada. Many Americans of European descent are seeking to build a new life for themselves in the countries their families originally came from. O'Hehir, drawing attention to the fact that sociologist Kristin Surak describes Americans wanting to flee the US as "Armageddon Americans," says:

"For those reading this article, it is no longer a secret that America's massive internal division, which shows no sign of healing within our lifetime, is pushing a growing number of people with sufficient means and a flexible lifestyle to consider their options. In the last few years, at least three of my former colleagues have packed up their families, changed their jobs, and moved abroad. More importantly, I don't know anyone who hasn't thought about this issue."

The article notes that while the number of tourists coming to the US was projected to rise from 72 million to 77 million in 2025, it remained at 68 million. There have been dramatic declines in visitors, especially from Canada, France, and Germany. Even though most of the FIFA World Cup will be held in the US this summer, visitation estimates have fallen short of expectations. In April, the number of visitors was down 14 percent from last year.

O'Hehir highlighted a poll conducted in 98 countries by the "Alliance of Democracies Foundation," founded by former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen in Denmark. According to the "Democracy Perception Index," there has been a 38-point drop in America's global net image. O'Hehir notes that the poll, published last month, has been largely ignored by the US media.

Dr. Nico Jaspers, CEO of Nira Data, which conducted the poll for the Alliance of Democracies Foundation, said in his assessment of the results: "The decline in the US image and its increasingly widespread perception as the world's biggest threat — combined with the pessimism prevalent in some parts of Europe — is extremely worrying."

According to the poll, the US ranks among the five most negatively perceived countries in the world. Israel is in first place. The poll also notes that China's global image has improved since 2022. Among the US, China, and Russia, only China has a net positive global image. In Europe, China is viewed more favorably than the US in 20 out of 23 countries polled, with only France, Poland, and Ukraine preferring the US. Even more interestingly, in the "Democracy Perception Index" polls conducted at regular intervals, the US is now perceived more negatively than Russia for the first time.

Another striking point in the poll concerned US overseas military bases. The US has around 800 military bases around the world. Respondents were also asked whether there should be US military bases in their own countries. Among the 97 countries polled, only Puerto Rico, Poland, Israel, and South Korea support American bases. In the Dominican Republic, Romania, Japan, and the Philippines, respondents are evenly divided. In the remaining 86 countries, the majority do not look favorably upon American bases.

Andrew O'Hehir, the Salon writer who notes in his article that the "American Dream" has faded, says that the world's admiration for America began to erode years ago, and that now the world is ready to divorce the US. Undoubtedly, the unconditional support the US gives to Israel also plays a significant role in America's global image being at rock bottom.