Poll: Americans and Europeans hold a negative view of Israel

A new poll conducted by the Pew Research Center shows that a growing number of adults in the United States and many European countries hold negative views of Israel. Tel Aviv's image in the United States has deteriorated during the 20-month Israeli aggression on Gaza.

In the United States, 53% of Americans have a very or somewhat negative view of Israel, compared to 45% who have a positive view. In Western countries, such as the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden, nearly four out of five adults have a negative opinion of the Jewish state.

Of the 24 countries surveyed, only Indians, Kenyans, and Nigerians had a favorable view of Israel. Overall, two out of three respondents had a negative opinion of Tel Aviv.

In the United States, the largest divide was between adults who identified themselves as right-wing or left-wing. Only 30% of right-wing Americans said they had a negative view of Israel, compared to 77% of liberal and left-wing respondents. This was the widest margin among all the countries surveyed.

A Pew Center poll conducted in April showed a slightly narrower margin, finding that 69% of Democrats viewed Israel unfavorably, while only 37% of Republicans said the same. This poll also found a wide split within the Republican Party, with 50% of right-leaning American adults under the age of 50 expressing an unfavorable opinion of Tel Aviv.

The Pew Center found that Israelis perceive themselves to be viewed negatively on the world stage. A majority of Israelis, 58%, said Tel Aviv is not respected worldwide, compared to only 39% who viewed Israel as respected.

Tel Aviv's public image has deteriorated in the United States and around the world as the Israeli military wages a brutal war of annihilation on Gaza. Several senior Israeli officials have called for the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, indicating that this is the goal of the current operations, according to the poll.