WASHINGTON — The Associated Press partnered with NORC to survey 1,022 Jewish adults across the United States, seeking to understand how they view Israel’s military actions in Gaza, their feelings about political parties, and their personal experiences with antisemitism in America.
The survey included both people who identify as Jewish by religion and those who consider themselves Jewish through culture, ethnicity, or family background but hold no specific religious affiliation. The results offer a rare, detailed look at a community that finds itself at the center of some of the country’s most contentious political conversations.
Views on Israel’s military campaign are split — and increasingly critical
Roughly 7 in 10 Jewish adults identify with a religious affiliation, while the remaining 3 in 10 describe themselves as atheist, agnostic, or without a specific religion — yet still consider themselves Jewish.
Among religiously affiliated Jewish adults, about 8 in 10 considered Israel’s immediate military response to Hamas’ October 7 attack to be justified. However, support drops significantly when it comes to the ongoing military operations in Gaza — only about half of that group still views those continued actions as justified. Among Jewish adults without a religious affiliation, support is even lower: only about half approved of the initial response, and just 2 in 10 now consider the ongoing operations acceptable.
About one-quarter of religiously affiliated Jewish adults believe Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza — an accusation raised by major human rights organizations and a team of independent experts appointed by the United Nations, but firmly rejected by Israel and the U.S. government. Among Jewish adults without a religious affiliation, that figure rises to roughly 4 in 10.
Many Jewish Americans feel unsafe — and that’s a recent shift
About 6 in 10 Jewish adults say that antisemitism is an “extremely” or “very” serious problem in the United States right now.
When it comes to personal safety, the community is divided. About one-third of Jewish adults say they feel “very” or “somewhat” safe as a Jewish person in the U.S., while another third say they feel “very” or “somewhat” unsafe. The remaining roughly 3 in 10 say they feel neither safe nor unsafe.
The survey also found that about 3 in 10 Jewish adults — or someone in their household — experienced physical assault, verbal harassment, online abuse, or property damage in the past year because of their Jewish identity. The poll suggests that feelings of personal safety have shifted notably in a short period of time, particularly as more Americans have grown critical of U.S. support for Israel and the ongoing war in Gaza. Jewish adults who feel a strong emotional connection to Israel were especially likely to report feeling unsafe.
Few Jewish adults feel well-supported by Trump or either political party
Only about 2 in 10 Jewish adults say President Donald Trump supports Jewish people in the U.S. “extremely” or “very” well. That figure is similar to how they rate both the Republican and Democratic parties — though Jewish adults are more likely to say the Democratic Party is at least “somewhat” supportive.
Interestingly, the general American public views Trump as more supportive of Jewish people than Jewish adults themselves do. About 3 in 10 U.S. adults overall say Trump is highly supportive, compared to just 2 in 10 Jewish adults.
Overall, about 7 in 10 Jewish adults hold an unfavorable view of Trump, while roughly 3 in 10 view him favorably.
What counts as antisemitism? That depends on who you ask
The conflict in Gaza has sparked widespread protests, including demonstrations against events held in support of Israel. The poll found that about half of Jewish adults do not consider protesting a pro-Israel event to be a form of antisemitism, while roughly 4 in 10 say it is. About 1 in 10 were unsure.
There is much stronger agreement on other behaviors. The vast majority of Jewish adults say vandalizing synagogues or Jewish-owned businesses because of Israel’s actions is antisemitic, as is denying the Holocaust, blaming American Jews for Israel’s conduct, or claiming Israel should not exist as a Jewish state.
Younger and older Jewish adults define their identity differently
For many older Jewish adults, support for Israel is a central part of their religious identity. About half of religiously affiliated Jewish adults aged 45 and older say supporting Israel is “extremely” or “very” important to their Jewish identity. Among younger religious Jewish adults, that drops to about 4 in 10.
Younger Jewish adults tend to place greater emphasis on cultural and religious practices. About 7 in 10 Jewish adults under 45 say celebrating Jewish holidays is at least “very” important to their identity, compared to only about half of older Jewish adults.
Background on the conflict
The war in Gaza began when Hamas launched an attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, killing approximately 1,200 people, the majority of them civilians. Israel launched a military counteroffensive that has continued for years and has resulted in more than 73,000 deaths, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which operates under Hamas governance. United Nations agencies and international organizations generally consider those casualty figures to be reliable, though they do not separate civilian deaths from militant deaths.
