Democratic voters' views of Israel have dramatically soured, with polls indicating a significant decline in favorability, particularly following events in 2025. This shift has manifested in primary election losses for incumbent Democrats who supported Israel and increased spending by pro-Israel groups in an effort to defeat certain candidates.
The primary driver behind this change is the devastation caused by the war in Gaza. While younger Democrats and progressives began to express negative views of the war early on, a broader segment of the party did not initially turn as sharply against the nation of Israel itself.
Polling data suggests that 2025 was a critical turning point. A confluence of events during that year, including Donald Trump succeeding Joe Biden as president, Trump's decision to align with Israel's actions against Iran, and a severe hunger crisis in Gaza, are cited as catalysts. These developments spurred a shift where hostility toward Israel extended beyond the traditional left wing of the Democratic Party.
Pollster Shibley Telhami described the situation as a "paradigm shift," noting that younger Democrats increasingly viewed Israel as a "genocidal villain," a sentiment that subsequently spread to older generations. However, a significant portion of Democrats still support Israel's right to exist as a Jewish homeland, with one poll from October indicating 75 percent agreement.
Despite this foundational support, unfavorable views of Israel have intensified. A Pew Research Center poll found that only 43 percent of Democrats hold favorable views of the Israeli people, a notable decrease from 58 percent in 2024.
Shifting Sympathies
Democrats' sympathy for Israel has been declining for years. Gallup polling on whether voters sympathize more with Israelis or Palestinians has shown a tightening advantage for Israel among Democrats since the 2010s, with this advantage vanishing in the early 2020s. Following the October 7, 2023, attacks, sympathy for Israel quickly diminished, with the country increasingly viewed as the aggressor.
By February 2024, 43 percent of Democrats sympathized more with Palestinians, while 35 percent sympathized more with Israelis. Hamid Bendaas of the Institute for Middle East Understanding noted that while younger and progressive Democrats largely believed Israel was committing genocide, other elements within the party, and the Biden administration's nuanced approach, initially moderated the widespread sentiment.
President Biden's strategy of attempting to balance support for Israel's war aims with efforts to curb its actions in Gaza complicated the debate. Protests and movements like "uncommitted" also proved divisive, with some Democrats viewing them as undermining Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the lead-up to the 2024 election.
Partisan Realignment
The election of Donald Trump and his close collaboration with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu further influenced Democratic views. According to Bendaas, this led to the "partisan-ization" of Israel, aligning pro-Israel sentiment more closely with the Republican Party. This polarization allowed more mainstream Democrats, who may have previously felt conflicted, to adopt more negative views of Israel.
Milan Singh, a commentator, observed that Trump's return to office "released a pressure valve," enabling older Democrats to align more readily with critiques of Israel without feeling conflicted about party loyalty.
By February 2025, Gallup polling showed a significant divergence, with 59 percent of Democrats sympathizing more with Palestinians and only 21 percent with Israelis. While Republicans and independents also showed a decrease in sympathy for Israel, the margin was less dramatic.
Key Events in 2025
The period following February 2025 saw further erosion of support for Israel, coinciding with key events and intensified reporting on the conflict. A brief ceasefire collapsed in March, leading to a resumption of fighting in Gaza. In June, Trump's decision to join Israel in attacking Iran's nuclear program was overwhelmingly opposed by Democratic voters.
Later that summer, extensive media coverage of a hunger crisis in Gaza, widely attributed to Israel's handling of aid, drew condemnation even from previously supportive voices within the Democratic Party. In July, a majority of Senate Democrats voted to block a weapons sale to Israel, a significant action that has since been surpassed by further opposition.
Views on the Israeli people also shifted. While Pew Research Center polls before and after the October 7 attacks showed stable, largely positive views of the Israeli populace among Democrats—suggesting a distinction between government policies and the citizenry—this trend reversed. By September 2025, favorable views of the Israeli people among Democrats had dropped to 48 percent, and a subsequent poll showed a further decline to 43 percent. In contrast, favorable views of the Palestinian people remained largely unchanged.
These shifts have had tangible consequences in Democratic primary elections and are expected to influence the 2028 presidential nomination contest, solidifying a consensus among most Democratic voters that views the country negatively.