Survey: Majority hold negative views of Israel, little trust in Netanyahu

A majority of citizens in more than 30 countries hold negative views of Israel, and trust in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is minimal, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Of the 36 participating nations, 67% of adults expressed a negative opinion of Israel, while only 25% viewed it positively.

Particularly strong negative sentiment comes from Muslim-majority regions such as Pakistan, Turkey, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. Pew was unable to conduct research in Gaza. The survey, conducted from February 8 to May 13, 2026, captured opinions after the US and Israel launched military operations against Iran in late February.

Europe shows the highest rates of negative assessments for Israel. In Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain, about half or more of adults hold a very negative view. Conversely, some sub-Saharan African nations participating in the survey expressed the most positive opinions.

The research also highlighted demographic and ideological differences. Younger individuals in many countries, particularly the US and Europe, tend to have more negative views of Israel than older generations. For instance, in Hungary, 72% of 18-34 year olds view Israel negatively, compared to 45% of those aged 50 and above.

Ideological divides are also significant. In the US, 83% of liberals and 37% of conservatives hold negative views of Israel. Similar patterns exist in Australia, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden, where roughly nine in ten or more individuals identifying as left-wing have negative opinions. This ideological gap is smaller but present in most high-income countries surveyed, with left-leaning individuals consistently expressing more negative views. However, this trend is not observed in middle-income countries. Public sentiment towards Israel was already largely negative last year, but unfavorable opinions have increased in 13 of the 24 countries for which Pew collected trend data.