Pew Finds 67% Across 36 Countries View Israel Unfavorably After Iran Campaign
Updated
Updated · Pew Research Center · Jun 4
Pew Finds 67% Across 36 Countries View Israel Unfavorably After Iran Campaign
3 articles · Updated · Pew Research Center · Jun 4
Summary
A median 67% of adults across 36 countries now view Israel unfavorably, while only 25% view it favorably, in Pew interviews conducted Feb. 8-May 13, mostly after the Feb. 28 U.S.-Israeli military campaign in Iran.
Netanyahu fares similarly poorly: majorities in most surveyed countries express little or no confidence in him, with 88% in Italy, 83% in Germany and 59% in the U.S. saying they lack confidence.
Views are harshest in Muslim-majority places and much of Europe—Turkey recorded 97% unfavorable views of Israel and Pakistan 95%—while some sub-Saharan African countries were relatively more positive.
Sentiment has worsened since 2025 in 13 of 24 countries with trend data, including a 7-point rise in unfavorable views in the U.S. and a 12-point jump in South Koreans lacking confidence in Netanyahu.
Younger adults and people on the left were often more negative, with the widest ideological split in the U.S., where 83% of liberals versus 37% of conservatives viewed Israel unfavorably.
While Israelis overwhelmingly back the war, why does the American public increasingly see the campaign against Iran as a costly mistake?
Is plummeting global support for Israel becoming a greater strategic threat to its security than the conflict with Iran itself?
With oil prices soaring and alliances fraying, can the U.S. and Israel achieve their military goals before the economic backlash becomes unbearable?
Israel’s Global Image Hits Historic Low: 2026 Pew Survey Reveals 23% Favorability Amid Iran War
Overview
The 2026 Pew Research Center survey, conducted from February to May across 36 countries, shows a dramatic and historic drop in global favorability towards Israel, with its average rating falling to just 23%, down 15 points from the previous year. This sharp decline is closely linked to the escalating conflict with Iran during the survey period, which involved intense military engagements and heightened international tensions. The combination of ongoing hostilities and diplomatic challenges has significantly damaged Israel’s international image, highlighting a period of unprecedented global disapproval.