Israeli Doubts About Continued American Support… What’s the Story?

Israeli circles have expressed doubts about the continuation of the strong American support that has been present since President Donald Trump’s arrival in the White House on January 20th.

Israeli academic Shuki Friedman, in an article published by Maariv newspaper, stated that “American support will not last forever,” explaining that “Trump’s public support for Israel, following the government’s confrontations with the Biden administration, has given Jerusalem a gentle illusion of power.”

Friedman pointed out that “a recent Gallup poll in the United States reveals that the reality outside the White House is different, with support for Israel at a dangerously low point and support for the Palestinians rising.”

He continued: “Alongside cooperation with the current administration, decision-makers in Israel must be aware of the sharp erosion of support for the state and act accordingly.”

The Lowest Support in 24 Years

Friedman noted that the poll confirms that support for Israel among the American public has dropped below 46%, the lowest percentage in 24 years.

The Israeli academic emphasized that “the poll data is significant in the United States, but Israeli policy has contributed to it considerably. The embrace Netanyahu has given Trump, the confrontations with the Democratic administration, and the Israeli policies in the West Bank have eroded support for Tel Aviv even before the war.”

He added: “After decades of support from both parties, Israel has taken on the image of clearly choosing the Republican side. After an increase in support for Israel during the first months of the war, the more Israel deepened its involvement in Gaza and the harsh images from there appeared on screens in the United States, support dropped to its current low point among the general public and plummeted within the Democratic Party.”

He noted that “within the Jewish community as well, particularly among the younger generation, support for Israel has eroded. The older generation of American Jews viewed Israel as an integral part of their Jewish identity, while the younger generation – particularly liberals and progressives – see it differently.”

Friedman explained that “Israel is no longer seen by them as a moral example, but rather as a state that oppresses Palestinians and pushes forward with religious and nationalistic policies. It is true that the war and the rising anti-Semitism in the United States have led some Jews to return to supporting Israel more strongly, but groups in the Jewish left have chosen to turn their backs on it.”

Irreversible Damage

He mentioned that “the longer Israeli governments continue to ignore the changes in the United States, the greater the likelihood that the damage to relations between the two countries will become irreversible.”

He elaborated: “The trends in the United States are clear: young people are becoming a politically significant force, Hispanics are a rapidly growing group, support for Israel among evangelicals is eroding, and the Democratic Party is moving away from the pro-Israel stance it once had. In order to change the trend, Israel must take several steps: repair relations with the Democrats, strengthen relationships with U.S. Jews, invest in additional audiences there, particularly in the Hispanic minority, but also in the African-American community, and protect and strengthen support among evangelicals.”

He concluded: “Israel is a state with economic greatness and a powerful military. However, it still has an existential attachment to the United States,” stressing that “without the American willingness to sell arms to Israel and provide a diplomatic umbrella in the United States, it would be very difficult for Israel to thrive, and even survive.”