The Associated Press surveyed more than 1,000 Jewish adults in the U.S. to better understand their views on Israel’s military actions in Gaza, their opinions of the political parties and their experiences with prejudice in the United States.
The survey of 1,022 Jewish adults — including people who identify as Jewish by religion and religiously unaffiliated people who identify as Jewish through culture, ethnicity or family background — offers a rare detailed accounting of a key demographic that sits at the very center of some of the nation’s most divisive political debates.
The poll reveals a community grappling with deeply complex issues related to Israel, antisemitism, safety concerns and political representation. The findings paint a picture of Jewish Americans with diverse and sometimes conflicting views on the Middle East conflict and how well American political leaders are protecting their interests at home.
Among Jews with a religious affiliation, views on Israel’s recent military actions are far from uniform or uncritical. About 7 in 10 Jewish adults overall identify as Jewish when asked about their religious affiliation.
While about 8 in 10 of those with a religious affiliation say Israel’s immediate military response to Hamas’ attack on October 7 was “justified,” only about half say Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza are justified.
Among Jewish adults without a religious affiliation, only about half saw Israel’s immediate response as justifiable. Now, only about 2 in 10 say the ongoing military operations are acceptable.
Views on what constitutes antisemitism also show divisions.
The poll found that about half of Jewish adults say protesting an event that is supportive of Israel is not a form of antisemitism, but roughly 4 in 10 say it is.
However,
the overwhelming majority say vandalizing synagogues or Jewish-owned businesses because of Israel’s actions is antisemitism. The same goes for denying the reality or scope of the Holocaust, putting responsibility for Israel’s actions on Jewish people in the United States or saying Israel shouldn’t exist as a Jewish state.
Age is a significant dividing line in how Jewish Americans view Israel.
Support for Israel is a key component of the religious identity of many older Jewish adults in the United States, but younger Jewish adults appear less likely to prioritize it. About half of older religious Jewish adults — those 45 and older — say that supporting Israel is “extremely” or “very” important for their Jewish identity.
By contrast, only about 4 in 10 younger religious Jewish adults emphasize support for Israel. Younger Jewish adults are more likely to prioritize other forms of connection, like celebrating Jewish holidays. About 7 in 10 Jewish adults under 45 say celebrating Jewish holidays is at least “very” important to their Jewish identity, compared to about half of older Jewish adults.
The poll also reveals significant concerns about safety and antisemitism in the United States.
Most Jewish adults say prejudice against Jewish people in the United States is a very or extremely serious problem and 77% feel it has increased since the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas.
Only 34% of Jewish adults feel safe as a Jewish person living in the United States today.
Sixty-two percent feel less safe in the U.S. since the Hamas attack in Israel. And 40% are less likely to wear, carry, or display things that might identify them as a Jewish person since the attack.
The poll found that Jewish adults who feel a close emotional tie to Israel are particularly likely to feel unsafe in the country today.
A significant share of Jewish adults, about 3 in 10, say they or someone in their household has experienced physical assault, verbal abuse, online harassment or damaged property because of their Jewish background over the last year, according to the survey.
When it comes to political support for Jewish people, the poll reveals widespread dissatisfaction across the board.
Only about 2 in 10 Jewish adults say Trump supports Jewish people in this country “extremely” or “very” well.
Americans overall are more likely than Jewish adults to see Trump as “extremely” or “very” supportive of Jewish people in the United States. About 3 in 10 U.S. adults say Trump is highly supportive of Jewish people, compared to about 2 in 10 Jewish adults.
The poll also found most Jewish adults have negative views of Trump. About 7 in 10 Jewish adults have a “very” or “somewhat” unfavorable opinion of Trump, compared to about 3 in 10 who have a favorable view.
Jewish adults are more likely to say the Democratic Party is at least “somewhat” supportive.
The findings underscore how the war in Gaza and broader concerns about antisemitism have reshaped attitudes within the Jewish American community. Jewish adults remain divided on how to define antisemitism in relation to Israel, with generational differences particularly pronounced. At the same time, growing safety concerns and a sense that politicians are not adequately supporting their community suggest deep anxieties about Jewish Americans’ place in the broader political landscape.