CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten said Friday that Americans have undergone what he described as a “mammoth” change in their views of Israel, pointing to multiple recent polls showing the country’s net favorability has fallen into negative territory during President Donald Trump’s second term.
Appearing on CNN with host John Berman, Enten said the shift represents a significant change in public opinion and could alter political calculations for candidates heading into future elections.
“These are some absolutely huge mammoth changes, generational changes that we’re talking about,” Enten said.
He noted that some Republicans have argued they would be able to campaign successfully against Democrats viewed as anti-Israel during a general election because they believed the broader electorate remained more supportive of Israel than the Democratic base.
However, Enten said recent polling suggests the general electorate has also become more negative toward Israel.
“I think there are a lot of Republicans [who say], ‘We’ll be able to run against these anti-Israeli Democrats once we hit the general election because the general electorate feels very differently from the Democratic base,’” Enten said. “But the general electorate, look at these numbers on Israel, the net favorability, they’re all negative.”
Enten pointed to several recent surveys showing Israel’s net favorability has declined steadily since the spring.
According to a Fox News poll cited during the segment, Israel’s net favorability stands at negative 11 points. An Ipsos survey found a similar result, placing the country at negative 10 points.
He also referenced polling from the Pew Research Center and Marquette University Law School, both of which showed net favorability dropping by more than 20 points into negative territory.
Based on those numbers, Enten concluded that “the general electorate has turned against Israel.”
During the discussion, Enten attributed the shift in public opinion to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which he said left thousands of civilians dead as Israel pledged to eliminate the terrorist group Hamas, as well as the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
According to Enten, the latest polling marks a dramatic departure from public opinion during Trump’s first administration.
“This trend line is unbelievable,” he said while comparing current polling with historical data.
Enten noted that in July 2018, Israel’s net favorability measured plus 51 points. Aggregate polling now places that figure at negative 16 points.
Host John Berman reacted to the comparison by saying, “Wow!”
Enten also highlighted polling conducted by The Washington Post and Ipsos regarding U.S. military assistance to Israel.
According to that survey, 55% of Americans favor reducing or ending military aid to Israel.
He added that support for reducing or ending assistance was relatively consistent across education levels.
Among respondents without a college degree, 51% favored reducing or ending aid, while 62% of college-educated respondents said the same.
Enten argued the findings demonstrate that changing attitudes toward Israel extend well beyond any single political or demographic group.
“This isn’t just an issue among white liberals and Democratic primaries,” Enten said. “No, no, no, this is true across the educational divide.”
He concluded that, based on the polling, a majority of Americans now believe U.S. military assistance to Israel should either be reduced or ended, signaling what he described as a broad shift in opinion across the general electorate.
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