NEW YORK (AP) — Yahm Levin is a lifelong Democrat living in one of America’s most left-leaning cities. But the 39-year-old Jewish woman from Los Angeles has started hiding her identity — even from fellow progressives.
After repeated uncomfortable experiences, Levin has learned that revealing she is Jewish, particularly one with ties to Israel, can provoke unwelcome reactions from people who share her political views. She now goes by her middle name, Shelly, because it feels less risky.
“I don’t really feel comfortable in leftist circles anymore,” said Levin, a former librarian. “I just want to be a Jewish American who has a connection to Israel. But I feel like I can’t do that. And it’s very frustrating. And sometimes a little scary.”
Almost three years since the war in Gaza erupted following Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack, growing criticism of Israel within the Democratic Party has left Levin describing herself as “politically homeless.”
A newly released survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that most Jewish adults feel poorly represented by political leaders at a deeply unsettling time for their community. Sixty-three percent of Jewish Americans say prejudice against Jewish people is an “extremely” or “very” serious problem in the United States — yet few believe either political party is doing an adequate job of standing up for the Jewish community.
The poll, which surveyed 1,022 Jewish adults — including those who identify as Jewish by religion as well as those who identify through culture, ethnicity, or family background — provides a rare in-depth look at a demographic that finds itself at the heart of some of the country’s most divisive political arguments.
Results indicate that many Jewish adults feel cut off at a time when antisemitism is rising across the political spectrum and support for Israel has become a flashpoint in both parties. The survey found that 36% of Jewish adults say supporting Israel is “extremely” or “very” important to their Jewish identity, while another 26% say it is “somewhat” important.
Only 15% of Jewish adults say the Democratic Party supports Jewish people in the U.S. “extremely” or “very” well, while 33% say it does so somewhat well. About 41% say the Democratic Party supports the Jewish community “not very well” or “not well at all.”
Feelings toward President Donald Trump and the Republican Party are even more negative — though not by a wide margin. That’s a notable finding given that Jewish Americans overwhelmingly identify as Democrats. About half of Jewish adults say Trump and Republicans do not support Jewish people in the U.S. well.
The poll also highlights a sense of disconnect between Jewish Americans and the broader public. While antisemitism is a major concern within the Jewish community, only 38% of U.S. adults overall consider prejudice against Jewish people an “extremely” or “very” serious problem.
The political soul-searching isn’t limited to Jewish Democrats. Max Sacher, a 27-year-old Jewish Republican from Austin, Texas, said he was largely satisfied with Trump’s stance toward the Jewish community — until he saw the president’s recent diplomatic effort to resolve the conflict with Iran, which Trump launched alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“It’s one of the most embarrassing documents I’ve read. It basically cedes everything to Iran,” said Sacher, a graduate student in finance. “I feel very lost politically. I used to have a home. Now I feel like I’m on an island in modern-day politics.”
According to AP VoteCast, Jewish voters made up 3% of the 2024 electorate. They voted heavily Democratic, with 66% supporting Vice President Kamala Harris and 33% backing Trump.
On several key questions, Jewish adults see things differently than the general American population. About 3 in 10 U.S. adults overall say Trump is highly supportive of Jewish people, compared to roughly 2 in 10 Jewish adults who feel the same way.
A large majority of Jewish adults — 77% — say antisemitism has worsened compared to three years ago, before the Hamas attack.
Ellen Kuberski, a 72-year-old Jewish Democrat from Chicago, dismissed Trump outright, describing a “general disgust and hatred” for the Republican president. But she is also frustrated with the Democratic Party, which she believes has shifted its support heavily toward Palestinians at the expense of Israel and American Jews. She was particularly troubled when progressive activists were protesting against Israel while Israeli hostages were still being held in Gaza.
“I tend to be more in line with the far left in just about everything else. But now the far left is attacking the Jewish community,” she said. “There’s enough antisemitism in the world that we don’t need politicians on what’s supposed to be on our side coming out with that crap.”
The Jewish community is divided over prominent figures in the Israel debate. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist and vocal critic of Israel, actually polls better among Jewish adults than either Netanyahu or Trump, who once pledged to be “the best friend Jewish Americans have ever had in the White House.”
About 44% of Jewish adults view Mamdani “somewhat” or “very” favorably, while 39% view him “somewhat” or “very” unfavorably. Around 2 in 10 said they don’t know enough about him to form an opinion.
Kylle Epstein, a 24-year-old Jewish Democrat from Clearwater, Florida, expressed enthusiasm for Mamdani and similar Democrats who have recently won congressional primary races in New York.
“I think Mamdani is absolutely phenomenal. He makes Democrats think,” Epstein said, calling for “new blood in the party.”
Netanyahu fares poorly among Jewish adults, with only about one-third viewing him “somewhat” or “very” favorably. About 6 in 10 hold a “somewhat” or “very” unfavorable view of the Israeli prime minister, including 42% who view him “very” unfavorably. About 1 in 10 say they don’t know enough to offer an opinion.
Trump’s favorability among Jewish adults is slightly lower than Netanyahu’s, with just 29% viewing the president favorably.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, one of the country’s most prominent Jewish Democratic officeholders, remains largely unknown within the broader Jewish community. About 4 in 10 Jewish adults view him favorably, about 2 in 10 view him unfavorably, and roughly 4 in 10 say they don’t know enough about him to say.
In conversations, many Jewish adults made clear that their heritage doesn’t mean they want the United States to give Israel unconditional backing. About 4 in 10 Jewish adults say the U.S. is “too supportive” of Israel — a figure similar to U.S. adults overall — while about 3 in 10 Jewish adults say the U.S. is “not supportive enough” of Israel, compared to about 2 in 10 Americans overall.
Meanwhile, about 4 in 10 Jewish adults also say the U.S. is “not supportive enough” of the Palestinians, a figure similar to U.S. adults overall.
The issue carries far more personal weight for Jewish adults than for the general public. About 6 in 10 Jewish adults say Israel is an “extremely” or “very” important issue to them personally, compared to just 35% of U.S. adults overall.
“Jews and Israel are connected, but they’re not synonyms,” said Levin, the former librarian from Los Angeles.
She said that misunderstanding on both sides of the political divide has helped fuel a surge in antisemitism, even in a city dominated by Democrats. Last month, while walking along Los Angeles’ historic Olvera Street with her husband, she came across a spray-painted message on the sidewalk reading “Death to Zionists,” accompanied by an upside-down triangle associated with Hamas.
Levin said it is becoming increasingly difficult to remain a loyal Democrat, even though she doesn’t see herself voting Republican.
“I mostly shake my head a lot and try to breathe,” she said.
The AP-NORC poll of 3,040 adults was conducted June 11-17 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, designed to represent the U.S. population. The poll included 1,022 Jewish adults. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.8 percentage points for adults overall and plus or minus 5.0 percentage points for Jewish adults.
