Full Breakdown
Young Americans Show Growing Favorability Toward Hamas and Declining Support for Israel, Pew Survey Finds
7/13/2026, 8:40:25 PM
Core Findings of the Pew Survey
A Pew Research Center survey conducted May 4-17 2026 among 12,574 U.S. adults reports that 13 % of respondents ages 18-29 view Hamas favorably, down from 18 % in 2025 and 14 % in 2024. Favorability toward Israel’s government fell sharply: among Democrats under 30, 62 % now hold an unfavorable view of the Israeli government, up from 43 % in 2022. Overall, 13 % of Democrats and 6 % of Republicans expressed a favorable view of Hamas.
Background and Recent Shifts
Before the Oct. 7 2023 Hamas attack that killed roughly 1,200 Israelis, 67 % of Americans viewed Israel positively (2022). The latest Pew data show positive views of Israel at 52 %, with unfavorable views rising to 42 %. A February 2026 Gallup poll found a historic reversal in sympathies: 41 % of Americans said they sympathized more with Palestinians than with Israel (36 % for Israel).
Demographic Breakdown
- Age: Favorability for Hamas is 13 % among 18-29-year-olds, 11 % among 30-49-year-olds, and 6 % among 50-64-year-olds.
- Political affiliation: Among young Republicans, favorable views of Israelis and Palestinians are roughly equal at 40 % each; 58 % of Republicans under 30 favor Palestinians versus 32 % for Israelis. Among young Democrats, 72 % favor Palestinians while only 26 % favor Israelis.
- Religion: 44 % of Muslim Americans expressed a favorable view of Hamas, a seven-point increase from 2024. By contrast, 4 % of Protestants and 2 % of Jewish Americans did so. Favorable views of Israelis were highest among white evangelical Protestants (74 %) and lowest among Muslim Americans (26 %).
Political Implications
Support for Israel remains strongest among Republicans (65 % favorable) but has declined across the spectrum. The gap is especially pronounced among younger voters, suggesting potential shifts in upcoming electoral dynamics and foreign-policy debates.
Official Summary Statements
Pew’s release emphasizes that the survey “reflects broader shifts in U.S. public opinion since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.” The organization notes that “support for Israelis remains stronger among Republicans than Democrats,” yet “support for Israelis has declined across the political spectrum over the past three years.” Gallup’s parallel finding that “more Americans now sympathize with Palestinians than with Israel” corroborates the trend.
Criticism and Opposition
British-Palestinian writer John Aziz condemned the favorable views, calling them “delusional” and accusing supporters of never having lived under “an authoritarian and tyrannical government like Hamas.”
Research fellow Hussain Abdul-Hussain (Foundation for Defense of Democracies) argued the Pew numbers “square with Palestinian polls” and questioned how “Israel can make peace with a Muslim population whose majority rejects it.”
Verbatim Quotes
- “Most of these losers who express approval for Hamas never lived under an authoritarian and tyrannical government like Hamas,” — John Aziz, British-Palestinian writer
- “Pew poll showing 44 percent of Muslims in America support Hamas squares with Palestinian polls, as surveyed by the Palestinian PCPSR [Center for Polling and Survey Research],” — Hussain Abdul-Hussain, research fellow, Foundation for Defense of Democracies
- “We want that war [in Gaza] to be stopped. We want all wars to be over,” — Ali Muhammed, 55-year-old cab driver
- “We are not supporting Hamas. We are just really upset to see innocent people get killed in Palestine and we want that to stop right away.” — Reuters
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Pew reports 13 % of adults 18-29 favor Hamas, while the New York Post article cites the same figure but adds that 16 % of young Democrats and 11 % of young Republicans do so. Gallup’s sympathy measure (41 % for Palestinians, 36 % for Israel) differs in methodology from Pew’s favorability questions, leaving a gap in direct comparability.
What’s Next
The Pew release does not specify forthcoming surveys or policy actions, and no additional polling dates have been announced.
