American Jews favour Mamdani over Netanyahu as 30% say Israel committed genocide

A new AP-NORC poll has revealed a sharp erosion of US public support for Israel, with around one-third of American adults saying they believe Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

The survey, conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research between 11 June and 17 June, found that about 30 per cent of US adults believe Israel’s military campaign in Gaza amounts to genocide. Around 20 per cent said they do not believe Israel has committed genocide, while nearly half said they did not know enough to say.

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The findings mark a major shift in American public opinion after decades of bipartisan support for Israel, and come nearly three years after Israel launched its assault on Gaza following the Hamas-led attack of 7 October, 2023.

Among Democrats, roughly half said they believe Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians, while 58 per cent said the US is “too supportive” of Israel. That figure is up from 45 per cent in January 2024, during the administration of former president Joe Biden.

The poll also found that 62 per cent of Democrats believe the US is “not supportive enough” of Palestinians, up from 49 per cent in 2024.

Republicans remain more supportive of Israel, although the survey pointed to signs of generational division. About 13 per cent of Republicans said Israel has committed genocide, rising to roughly 20 per cent among Republicans under the age of 45.

One of the most striking findings concerns Jewish American respondents. Around 30 per cent of Jewish adults said they believe Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians, while 49 per cent said it has not.

The poll also showed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is deeply unpopular among Jewish adults in the US. About six in ten Jewish respondents viewed Netanyahu unfavourably, while around one-third viewed him favourably.

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By contrast, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, an outspoken critic of Israel, received a more positive assessment from Jewish adults than Netanyahu. According to the poll, 44 per cent of Jewish adults viewed Mamdani favourably, 39 per cent viewed him unfavourably and 17 per cent said they did not know enough to say.

Among US adults overall, Netanyahu remained broadly unpopular. Only 20 per cent viewed him favourably, while 38 per cent viewed him unfavourably and 41 per cent said they did not know enough to have an opinion.

The findings come as Israel continues to face accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, brought by South Africa, as well as growing criticism from human rights organisations, genocide scholars and legal experts over its conduct in Gaza.