A national poll conducted among 815 Jewish Americans reveals a deepening rift within the community over Israel's military operations in Gaza, with 61 percent stating Israel has committed war crimes and 39 percent characterizing the actions as genocide against Palestinians, two years after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that killed approximately 1,200 Israelis.
The survey shows particularly strong criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's leadership, with 68 percent of American Jews giving negative ratings—a dramatic 20-percentage-point increase from Pew Research Center polling five years ago—though 94 percent still hold Hamas accountable for war crimes, and the community remains almost evenly split on approving (46 percent) versus opposing (48 percent) Israel's Gaza actions.
According to data from the Gaza Health Ministry, Israel's military response has resulted in more than 67,000 Palestinian deaths, with the majority reported as women and children, prompting 59 percent of American Jews to say Israel isn't doing enough to allow food into the territory amid widespread hunger reports.
The findings reveal significant political implications as prominent lawmakers including Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer and Senator Bernie Sanders have increasingly challenged Israel's conduct, with most Senate Democrats voting in July to block arms sales to Israel, while a generational divide shows only 36 percent of Jews aged 18-34 feel emotionally attached to Israel compared to 68 percent of those over 65.
Despite the sharp criticism and United Nations experts reiterating genocide accusations last month—which Netanyahu's government has vehemently denied—76 percent of American Jews still believe Israel's existence remains vital for the Jewish people's future, and 59 percent express optimism that Israelis and Palestinians can eventually achieve peaceful coexistence, reflecting the community's complex and often contradictory feelings about the Jewish state's direction under increasingly conservative leadership.
