Support for Israel among Democrats has fallen dramatically since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attacks and Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza, according to a new poll reported by NBC News, highlighting how prolonged conflict abroad can reshape political attitudes at home.
The NBC News survey found that favorable views of Israel among Democrats dropped from 34 percent in 2023 to just 13 percent in 2026. At the same time, a clear majority of Democrats — 57 percent — now say they hold negative views toward Israel, while another 30 percent say they are neutral or unsure.
The shift reflects a striking change in sentiment within the Democratic Party during the years following the outbreak of the war. The poll suggests that the longer the conflict has continued, the more divided American opinion has become, particularly among voters on the left.
Support among political independents also declined sharply over the same period. In 2023, 40 percent of independents reported positive views toward Israel. By 2026, that number had dropped to 21 percent.
Meanwhile, 48 percent of independents surveyed said they hold negative views toward Israel.
Republicans remain more supportive overall, though the poll indicates that backing for Israel has slipped even within the GOP. In 2026, 54 percent of Republicans expressed support for Israel, compared to 63 percent in 2023 — a decline of about 9 percentage points.
The NBC News poll found that the shift in attitudes spans every age group in the country, including older Americans who have traditionally expressed stronger support for Israel.
Among Americans aged 65 and older, support fell from 64 percent in 2023 to 55 percent in 2026. Negative views toward Israel in that age group also increased during that time, rising from 12 percent to 21 percent.
The change was even more pronounced among Americans between the ages of 50 and 64. Support in that group dropped from 59 percent in 2023 to 37 percent in 2026, while negative views doubled from 15 percent to 30 percent.
Americans aged 35 to 49 also showed declining support. In that demographic, positive views toward Israel fell from 34 percent in 2023 to 20 percent in 2026. At the same time, 43 percent of respondents in that age group reported negative views.
The youngest voters appear to be the most critical. Among Americans aged 18 to 34, only 13 percent expressed support for Israel, while 63 percent said they oppose the state.
Support among younger Americans has also dropped sharply since 2023, with positive views toward Israel among that age group roughly cut in half over the past three years.
The poll also found a broader long-term shift in sympathy regarding the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
Across all political parties and age groups, sympathy for Palestinians has risen dramatically over the past 13 years. In 2013, just 13 percent of Americans said they felt more sympathy for Palestinians than Israelis. By 2026, that figure had climbed to 39 percent.
Among Democrats, the shift has been particularly striking. In 2013, only 18 percent of Democrats said they sympathized more with Palestinians than Israelis. By 2026, that number had surged to 67 percent.
The numbers suggest that the war in Gaza has not only reshaped views of the conflict itself but has also accelerated a broader generational and political shift in how Americans view one of the world’s most enduring and complicated conflicts.
As the fighting abroad continues to reverberate politically at home, the poll offers a reminder that long wars rarely remain confined to distant battlefields — they also reshape public opinion in ways that can reverberate through American politics for years to come.
