Israel Viewed Negatively by Majorities in 36 Countries

Israel is a disliked country for the majority of people across 36 nations worldwide. They also have no confidence in its Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, particularly regarding making correct decisions on international matters. This is according to a recent global survey by the research organization Pew Research Center.

The survey, conducted between February 8 and May 13 of this year, found that an average of 67% of adult citizens across 36 countries hold a negative view of Israel. In contrast, only 25% view the country positively. It is noteworthy that most of the interviews for this survey were conducted after the joint US-Israeli military operation in Iranian territory began on February 28.

According to the survey, anti-Israel sentiment is strongest in Muslim-majority countries and territories, including Bangladesh, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Turkey, and the West Bank and East Jerusalem in Palestine. However, the survey could not be conducted in war-torn Gaza.

European countries also showed negative assessments of Israel. In particular, around half or more people in Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain said they view Israel extremely negatively. However, some countries in sub-Saharan Africa showed slightly more positive responses toward Israel.

Age and Political Ideology Gaps

A significant divide in views toward Israel was observed between young and old, as well as between left-wing and right-wing individuals. In several North American and European countries, anti-Israel sentiment is much higher among younger people compared to older people. For example, in Hungary, 72% of those aged 18-34 are dissatisfied with Israel, compared to 45% among those aged 50 and above.

In terms of political ideology, the largest gap was seen in the United States. There, 83% of left-wing or liberal individuals view Israel negatively. Among conservatives or right-wing individuals, this rate is only 37%.

Furthermore, around 90% or more of left-wing individuals in Australia, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden dislike Israel—at least 23 percentage points higher than right-wing individuals in those countries. While this ideological gap is clear in high-income countries, such a trend was not observed in middle-income countries.

Situation Worsened Compared to 2025

Global public opinion toward Israel was already quite negative last year. However, it has increased even further over the past year. Among the 24 countries for which previous data exists, 13 countries have shown increased negative sentiment toward Israel.

For example, in Argentina, 46% of people had a negative view in 2025; now it stands at 55%. Besides Argentina, the rate of highly negative sentiment has increased by double digits in Australia, Italy, Nigeria, Poland, and the United Kingdom. Only in Greece has there been a slight increase in positive sentiment toward Israel compared to last year, yet only 30% of people there support the country.

Confidence in Netanyahu at Rock Bottom

Global confidence in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is now near zero. More than half of people in Bangladesh, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Pakistan, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the West Bank and East Jerusalem in Palestine clearly stated they have absolutely no confidence in Netanyahu's ability to make the right decisions on the international stage. Among the 36 countries surveyed, only in Kenya and the Philippines did more than half express confidence in Netanyahu.

Similar to views on Israel, confidence in Netanyahu is lowest among young people and left-wing individuals. In Hungary, those under 35 showed 23% more distrust of Netanyahu compared to older people. Additionally, left-wing individuals in several countries, including the United States, Australia, and Canada, expressed 25% more distrust than right-wing individuals.

Over the past year, confidence in Netanyahu has decreased in 13 of the 24 countries surveyed. The biggest drop occurred in South Korea, where the distrust rate was 64% last year but has now risen to 76%. Furthermore, in Italy, where 45% of people said last year they had absolutely no confidence in Netanyahu, the rate has now jumped to 62%.

Rate of Negative Attitude Towards Israel by Country:

Turkey-97%, Pakistan-95%, Malaysia-89%, Indonesia-86%, West Bank/East Jerusalem-85%, Japan-83%, Australia-79%, Bangladesh-79%, Netherlands-76%, Spain-78%, Sweden-78%, Italy-75%, Germany-73%, Singapore-72%, Poland-70%, South Korea-70%, United Kingdom-69%, France-68%, Canada-65%, Greece-65%, Philippines-64%, United States-60%, Chile-60%, Thailand-59%, Mexico-59%, South Africa-58%, Colombia-56%, Argentina-55%, Hungary-54%, Brazil-52%, Peru-50%, Kenya-47%, Sri Lanka-41%, Nigeria-41%, Ghana-36%, India-28%

Rate of Distrust in Netanyahu by Country:

Turkey-95%, Pakistan-92%, Malaysia-91%, Bangladesh-90%, Indonesia-89%, West Bank/East Jerusalem-88%, Japan-87%, Australia-84%, Spain-84%, Sweden-84%, Netherlands-83%, Italy-83%, Germany-79%, Singapore-78%, South Korea-76%, Poland-75%, United Kingdom-74%, France-73%, Canada-70%, Greece-69%, Chile-68%, Thailand-67%, Mexico-66%, United States-65%, South Africa-64%, Colombia-63%, Argentina-62%, Hungary-60%, Brazil-59%, Peru-57%, Philippines-46%, Sri Lanka-43%, Nigeria-41%, Ghana-34%, Kenya-28%, and India-27%, respectively.

Source: Pew Research Center Survey, 2026