Israel losing young America: Youth dislike nearly doubles in 3 years

A new poll exposes a dramatic erosion of support for Israel among younger Americans, with negative views nearly doubling in just three years. The NBC News survey conducted between Feb. 27 and March 3 with 1,000 registered voters shows the generational divide over Israel widening at unprecedented speed.

Youth opinion turns sharply negative

The poll found that 63% of respondents under age 35 now hold negative views of Israel, a staggering increase from 37% in a similar 2023 survey. The 26-point swing in such a short period suggests younger Americans are increasingly alienated from the US ally, signaling long-term trouble for Israel's image as generational attitudes solidify.

Palestinian sympathy surges

Perhaps more striking is the collapse of traditional pro-Israel sentiment among Democrats. The percentage of Democrats expressing sympathy for Palestinians over Israel has more than tripled from 18% in 2013 to 67% today. Overall American sympathy for Palestinians has grown from just 13% to 39% over the same period—a threefold increase that reflects fundamental changes in how Americans view the conflict.

Political earthquake ahead

The polling data points to a looming political shift with profound implications. As younger, more skeptical voters replace older generations, the ironclad US support for Israel can no longer be taken for granted. The survey captures Israel's accelerating loss of the next generation of Americans—a trend with consequences that will ripple through US politics for decades.