A new survey reveals that 44% of Muslim American respondents have a favorable opinion of Hamas, a significant finding compared to other religious groups surveyed. The poll, conducted by the Pew Research Center, also indicates a notable decrease in favorable views towards Israelis among both Democrats and Republicans since 2022.

Among Black Protestants, 17% expressed a favorable view of Hamas, while only 4% of white evangelical Protestants and 8% of Catholics shared this sentiment. Conversely, views on the Israeli people also show disparities: 26% of Muslim Americans hold a favorable view, in contrast to 74% of white evangelical Protestants, 51% of Catholics, and 55% of Black Protestants.

The survey highlights a generational divide, with younger Americans across all religious affiliations showing a greater tendency to favor Palestinians over Israelis. More than half (58%) of U.S. adults under 30 expressed favorable views of the Palestinian people, while only 32% held similar views of Israelis.

This trend is particularly pronounced among young Democrats, where 72% of those under 30 viewed Palestinians favorably, compared to 26% for Israelis. Even young Republicans have seen a cooling of support for Israel, with 42% holding favorable views of the Israeli people and 40% for the Palestinian people.

Across all age groups surveyed, 13% of adults under 30 expressed a favorable view of Hamas, including 16% of young Democrats and 11% of young Republicans.

The survey also tracked changes in perceptions of Israel since the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023. The share of Republicans with a favorable view of Israelis dropped from 77% to 65%, and among Democrats, it fell from 62% to 43%. Support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government also saw a decline, from 65% in 2022 among Republicans to 51%, and from 35% to 16% among Democrats.

Jewish Americans and white evangelical Protestants consistently reported the most favorable views of the Israeli people and its leadership. White evangelical Protestants were the only religious group with a majority (57%) expressing positive views of Netanyahu's government, compared to 47% of Jewish respondents. Younger Jewish adults, under 50, were less likely than their older counterparts to hold favorable views of Israel's government and people.

The Pew Research Center survey polled 12,574 Americans between May 4 and May 17.